The Ropar police arrested three gangsters of the Pehalwan group on Monday evening after chasing them at Katli T-point.
The arrested have been identified as Neelamal alias Billa of Rasulda, Khanna, a national-level weightlifter. The other accused, Vishal of Khanna, is an ex-president of RIMT college, Mandi Gobindgarh.
Gurjot of Rajpura was also arrested, who was out on bail as he has two cases of robbery registered against him in Patiala.
Initial investigation revealed the involvement of four more accomplices belonging to Patiala and Khanna. Police have recovered four pistols (.32 bore) and 22 cartridges from them. They had procured these weapons from a contact in Meerut.
SSP Swapan Sharma said, “The arrested men belong to the Pehalwan group of Sirhind. They were involved in five cases of dacoity in Ropar, Khanna and Fatehgarh Sahib.”
The Pehalwan group is involved in an armed power struggle with the Gandhi group of Khanna. The struggle relates to student politics in Fathegarh Sahib, Khanna and Patiala colleges.
The apprehended gangsters were involved in snatching a motorcycle and in armed robbery at two liquor vends in Sirhind and Khanna in November last year. They also looted liquor vends at Pathredi Jattan and Sandhuan in Ropar district. These three, along with their accomplices, attempted an armed robbery at a liquor vend in Bassi Pathana, where shots were fired at the owner.
Police are on the lookout for the remaining members of the gang. Sources said some of them had fled to Maharashtra and Gujarat; one of them had fled abroad.
