With the arrest of Dilpreet Singh Dhahan in Chandigarh on Monday, Punjab Police have neutralised 14 top category most wanted gangsters active in the state in the last year and a half.
While seven have been killed, an equal number fell into the police dragnet and are now behind bars. At least three notorious gangsters are still on the run. Hindustan Times takes a stock of the gangster graph.
1.Vicky Gounder
Killed in an encounter
Escaped high-security Nabha Jail in November 2016, Gounder was killed in an encounter in Sri Ganganagar on January 26. He was wanted in 20 cases in different states.
Five teams of Punjab Police comprising 35 men had executed the intelligence-based operation that ended in the death of Punjab’s most wanted gangster Harjinder Singh Bhullar, alias Vicky Gounder at Pakki village in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan, 50 metres from the Punjab territory.
2. Prema Lahoria
Killed in encounter
Gunned down with Gounder. Both killed gangster Sukha Kahlon near Phagwara while police were taking him to jail in 2015.
3. Gurpreet Singh Sekhon
In police custody
A mastermind of Nabha jailbreak, he was arrested by Punjab Police at Dhudike village in Moga on February 12, 2017. Faces seven cases.
4. Tirath Singh Dhilwan
In police custody
Arrested in Khanna last year, Tirath of Dhilwan in Faridkot was an aide of Jaipal. He was wanted for 10 contract killings and highway robberies.
5. Dilpreet Singh Dhahan
In police custody
Arrested after an encounter in Chandigarh on Monday, Dhahan is from Nurpur Bedi in Rupnagar district. He shot to fame for attacking Punjabi singer Parmish Verma and was wanted in 10 cases of heinous crimes, including the murder of a sarpanch in Chandigarh. He operated with wanted gangster Harvinder Rinda Sarhali.
6. Kulpreet Singh Neeta Deol
In police custody
An escapee from Nabha jail, Deol was arrested in a joint operation of Punjab Police and MP police from Indore on January 17, 2017. Was wanted for six heinous crimes.
7. Ravicharan Singh alias Ravi Deol
In police custody
A boxer-turned-singer who later took to crime, he surrendered in a Sangrur court on January 30 after the Sri Ganganagar encounter.
8. Gurbaksh Sewewala
In police custody
A member of the Devinder Bambiha gang, he was arrested by the state police after an encounter in Bathinda in May 2017. He faces 12 cases of murder, attempt to murder, loot, and ransom in Punjab.
9. Manpreet Manna and Prabhdeep Singh
Killed in police encounter
Both killed in a police encounter in Gulabgarh village of Bathinda on December 17, 2017, when they were fleeing after snatching an SUV. They faced cases of murder, snatchings and dacoity in Rajasthan.
10. Kamaljeet Singh, alias Bunty Dhillon, Jaspreet Singh, alias Jumpy Don, and Nishan Singh
Committed suicide
Committed suicide in Dabwali in Haryana on being cornered by a team of the Punjab and Haryana police on June 13 last year. They were wanted in 20 cases.
11. Saraj Mintoo
In police custody
Saraj shot a Shiv Sena leader in Amritsar on October 30 last year. He was arrested in Jalandhar on March 6.
12. Jaipal
On the run
Son of a former cop from Ferozepur, he is said to be one of the most powerful gangsters in the state. He killed gangsters Jaswinder Rocky near Parwanoo and is on the run since then.
13. Jaspreet Singh Goppy Ghanshampria
On the run
Hails from Amritsar district and wanted in more than 10 cases of murder and robbery. He operates with gangster Supreet Singh, alias Harry Chatha, who is also from Amritsar.
