If sources are to be believed, gangster Amit Malik alias Bhura along with his aides had looted weapons from the police with a definite design - to instill fear into his potential victims and to ensure they cough up whatever amounts he demands from them by way of extortion.
Meanwhile, 13 days have passed since Bhura had escaped from the police custody in Baghpat. The teams formed by Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi are still clueless about the gangster’s whereabouts, though they are supposed to be working round-the-clock in tandem to achieve the much-awaited breakthrough. Sources said that the notorious gangster Sunil Rathi who is now languishing in Pauri jail had hatched the conspiracy to facilitate his close gang member, Bhura to escape and also to loot the arms from the escorting police personnel.
Rathi might have consulted another UP-based gangster for the same, sources privy to the police officials said. Several gangs, including the one being run by Rathi, operating in western UP, keep earning crores through extortion, it is learnt. Some persons who are suspected to be indirectly associated with these extortion gangs are being grilled by the teams constituted by Uttarakhand police to get information about Bhura and his accomplices who had helped him to flee.
Meanwhile, the police department released a sketch of Bhura and had it pasted on various places across the country. Moreover, Rs 5 lakh has been announced by the Uttarakhand Government and Uttar Pradesh Government each for information leading to the contract killer Bhura’s arrest. Uttarakhand DGP BS Sidhu said that the joint teams of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi have arrested three persons - relatives of Rathi and Bhura - in connection with the case. Police are working on the leads that the investigation is throwing up. After 13 days of investigation, teams are being sent to specific locations to conduct raids and to arrest the absconding gangster and his aides. Experienced and skilled police officers from three States - UP, Uttarakhand and Delhi - are monitoring the progress made by the teams from a special control room located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Bhura had escaped from the police custody while being taken to the court in Baghpat in connection with a murder case, giving the escorting personnel the slip on December 15. The armed criminals had sprinkled chilli power on policemen and looted police of two AK-47 rifles and one self-loading rifle (SlR) aside from securing the escape of Bhura from the escorting cops.