Wanted criminal in police net

CHANDIGARH, Dec 15: The Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) of the Chandigarh Police today nabbed Pala, reportedly wanted in a number of cases of gangrapes and dacoity in and around the city.

On getting a tip-off that Pala had been seen moving around, a CIA team headed by Inspector K.I.P. Singh set up a naka on the outskirts of Maloya village this morning. Around 11 a.m., when Pala was cycling from the Punjab side toward Dronacharya Mandir, situated near Maloya Colony, he was intercepted and detained. Police recovered jewellery and gold and silver items from his possession.Pala (36), alias Dhania, a resident of Karoot village in Una district, was a member of the Bittu gang, said to have been involved in a number of cases of gangrapes and dacoity, police sources added. He belonged to the Dheh community.

The police have dispatched a team to raid a hideout which Pala disclosed during questioning. Police expect to discover more hideouts and arrest the remaining gang members.

K.I.P. Singh told Newsline that the gang’s modus operandi, as revealed by Pala, was unusual: "On the night of committing the crime, they would hide in the fields. Then, after committing the crime, this six-man gang would split up, each man going towards his own hiding place or his home."While police said the process of neutralising the entire gang was on, they added that several important gang members have been nabbed after the arrest of Santa Singh, who was reportedly caught while he was committing a dacoity in Makhanmajra.