Special Task Force (STF) Uttarakhand arrested a notorious criminal Bhagwan Singh Bhandari from Rishikesh and seized his passport. He had intended to escape from India overseas, it was learnt from police. Earlier, Garhwal Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) had announced a bounty of Rs 5, 000 on Bhandari.
It should be mentioned here that Bhandari was working as a property dealer and was allegedly involved in illegal sales and purchases of property (land) in Rishikesh area.
Police received a tip- off that he had been hiding in several places in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and running hotels from there.
Acting to a tip- off, STF, Uttarakhand SSP had formed a team headed by inspector Yogesh Kumar and they began searching the accused. Police found Bhandari’s location in Punjab. But he somehow managed to escape from Punjab and come to Rishikesh a few days ago. Police raided a house, near Shyampur, Riskhiesh after verifying his location and consequently, he was arrested by the team.
In regards to illegal sales and purchases of property (land), a case under section 420 of IPC was registered in the Riskhikesh police station way back in 2009. Meanwhile, Bhandari had reached France, eluding police. Recently he returned to India and hid himself in Roorkee, Haridwar, Batla (Punjab) and other places in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Currently, he was running a hotel at Batla, Punjab. Police impounded his passport.