JAMMU — Since the killing of a gangster outside Government Medical College (GMC) Kathua on Tuesday and where one police sub inspector also laid his life for the country, the focus is back on this menace of gangster-ism.
This menace is returning to Jammu and Kashmir mostly in twin districts of Samba and Kathua, falling on Jammu-Pathankote National Highway 44, which are close to neighbouring Punjab.
According to the news agency KNO, two gangs are working in these districts at present which include Shalu gang and Royal Singh gang. The gangster killed in Kathua shootout, Vasudev Sharma, belonged to the Shalu gang.
Sources in the police department said that gangsters had been operating in Jammu plains long back but the menace was controlled by killing few of them and arresting others. “But now Samba and Kathua districts are witnessing the return of these gangsters who are trying to increase their footprints in others parts as well,” the source said.
The question arises as to how they are surviving and from where they are getting the weapons.
On Wednesday, Director General of Police (DGP) J&K had hinted that there is a nexus between drug mafia and these gangsters who are working in tandem to increase their footprints in Jammu and Kashmir. The DGP had said that they are building the network on the pattern of Punjab.
“Drugs are the major business where these gangsters are operating and they are getting easy money from there. There are ample chances that these gangsters are having links with drug mafia of Punjab and during the investigation it will be known,” the source said.
During the Tuesday shootout in Kathua, police had arrested colleagues of the dead gangster and gave a huge dent to Shalu gang. “There are reports that few more people are part of this gang but with the killing of Vasudev Sharma, they will try to stay calm and do nothing to avoid getting caught,” he added.
Now, another question is what kind of the weapon they are using and from where they get it from. Responding to this query, the source said, “Mostly they use locally made weapons which they get from Uttar Pradesh and from Punjab.”
