Absconding gangster Anandpal Singh has unrelated people even outside Rajasthan taking his name to promote their business by instilling fear among competitors, investigators have found.
Officials of the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) are keeping a keen eye on those using ‘brand Anandpal’ to their benefit, sources said on Friday.
The trend came to light this week after Anandpal’s aide Azad Singh was arrested from property dealer Sanjeev Chauhan’s house in Haryana. Azad, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh, was rounded up near Ambala on August 6.
Around 25 km from that Haryana city is Mouli, a small village. There, people would look upon property dealer Sanjeev Chauhan with reverence, as they knew of his clout. Chauhan would often hint at his connections with the underworld—one of the ways he would scare off professional rivals and secure business deals.
Anandpal, who is charged with multiple cases of robbery and extortion in several parts of Rajasthan, jumped Ajmer jail in September last year along with two accomplices. A native of Nagaur district, the 44-year-old has done BEd.
Last weekend, ATS nabbed Azad from Chauhan’s house around the same time the squad, along with Special Operations Group, nabbed Mahipal alias Monty—another right-hand man of Anandpal—from Udaipur.
Subsequent ATS investigations revealed that people indirectly or remotely associated with Anandpal were using the gangster’s name, a top official said.
“For example, by sheltering Azad, Chauhan wanted to exercise more clout in the area,” said superintendent of police (ATS) Vikas Kumar. “He also wanted to further his political ambitions.”
Probes revealed a dozen such instances. “We are keeping a close watch on these people,” Kumar said.
Another ATS official said most of those thriving on ‘brand Anandpal’ are property dealers. “Where there was competition, they would spread the word that Anandpal was buying the land. Scared, other parties will pull out,” he added.
ATS officials spoke of instances where travel agents, too, threatened fellow professionals by using Anandpal’s name for bulk bookings to secure deals. “These people would provide the gangster with logistics support and, occasionally, cash,” an official said. “They profit out of the impression of being close with Anandpal.”
“Anandpal, too, benefits,” he added. “He gets free publicity.
