Delhi Police has tightened its grip around former Mundka MlA Rambir Shokeen after Special Cell recovered an AK-47 assault rifle from his premises. Shokeen, who is the maternal uncle of notorious gangster Neeraj Bawana, allegedly provided him shelter and also provided him logistics to carry on his nefarious activities.
Delhi Police is mulling to slap MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act), if it requires. The recovered weapons were robbed by Bawana from Uttarakhand Police during Amit Bhura’s escape from their custody last year.
Police said an AK-47 and a Self loading Rifle (SlR) were recovered from an abandoned property allegedly belonging to the former MlA from Najafgarh, Rambir Shokeen. During interrogation Neeraj Bawana disclosed that his maternal uncle Shokeen had provided him the shelter and helped him in hiding the robbed weapons. Bawana was arrested by the Special Cell on April 7 from West Delhi’s Mundka area following a brief encounter.
“We found two weapons - an AK-47 and police SlR - from the property in outer Delhi after digging a portion on instance of Bawana. Both weapons were robbed from the Uttarakhand policemen,” said an officer. Bawana told police that he went to his uncle’s office after fleeing from Baghpat, Haryana, in December 2014. Punjab police had recently arrested Bhura whose custody is now being sought by Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police departments.
Police said Bawana had paid Rs 1 crore to his maternal uncle Rambir Shokeen during December 2013 Delhi elections followed by a payment of Rs 40 lakh during 2014 lok Sabha elections. “All this money was generated by Bawana through extortions, abductions and other crimes,” said a senior police officer. “We are mulling to nab Shokeen in connection with the case. MCOCA will also be slapped against him if requires,” an officer told The Pioneer.
Police said that the name of another criminal Sunil Rathi has also come to fore who had been assisting Bawana closely for the past few months. Besides a group of 15-20 men who are believed to be part of Bawana’s gang have also been identified. They are mostly from bordering areas of Delhi, which include Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat.
Neeraj Bawana had been evading arrest or the past over 18 months but was caught when he had come to meet his family in Uttarakhand. He has already booked under the MCOCA.