Who helped Greater Noida gangster Ravi Kana gain monopoly in scrap trade — and 50 other questions

The Greater Noida police on Monday filed an application before the District Court seeking police custody remand of Kana alias Ravindra Nagar, a scrap dealer booked under Gangster Act, for seven days. Officials said a hearing in the matter is scheduled Tuesday and police have sought custody keeping in mind that many questions are yet to be answered. The police have not sought Jha’s custody, added the official. Kana and Jha were sent to 14-day judicial custody on Saturday by a local court.

The arrests came three months after Kana was booked under charges of gangrape by the Noida police. Soon after, charges under the Gangster Act were also invoked against him and 15 others, for allegedly being involved in illegal activities in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad for over two decades.

Besides Kana and Jha, his wife Madhu had also left the country on December 31, a day after he was booked in the gangrape case. Madhu was arrested last month after landing at the Delhi airport.

Officials said a nexus of officials, politicians and media is also being investigated to unravel the kind of support Kana got all these years.

In the last few months, apart from Kana, Jha, and Madhu, more than 15 associates of his team have been arrested by Greater Noida police, and properties worth over Rs 250 crore have been attached.

Kana is accused of creating a monopoly in the scrap business in different parts of Western UP. With the help of Anil Dujana, a gangster who was killed in a police encounter, he allegedly used to threaten industrialists into giving tenders on scrap-related works to his team. Officials said the members of the gang used to stop rebar trucks going to various construction sites and, in collusion with the drivers, get the material unloaded at their place.

“They got undue financial benefits by selling this rebar at market price to the traders. They also obtained the contract for the scrap coming out of various business establishments for their gang members at the desired rate by threatening the owners,” said a senior police official.

Officials said that Kana used to get tender at the cheapest rate for his gang and Benami companies, and used to stop others from filing tenders.

“His company Prime Pressing Tools Pvt. Ltd. has grown illegally at the rate of 97% in the last three years,” added the official.

A total of 11 cases have been registered against Kana since 2013 in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad.