UP gangster arrested from BJP MP8217;s house

NEW DELHI, February 12: Notorious Uttar Pradesh gangster and an associate of slain ganglord Shri Prakash Shukla, Rajan Tewari, was arrest...

NEW DELHI, February 12: Notorious Uttar Pradesh gangster and an associate of slain ganglord Shri Prakash Shukla, Rajan Tewari, was arrested from the house of BJP MP Ganga Ram Kohli this afternoon.

Tewari is the prime accused in the 1998 murders of CPIM MLA from Purnea Ajit Sarkar, former Bihar energy minister Brij Behari, Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA from Bihar B.P. Sahni and Samata Party leader Pramod Singh.

Behari was killed, allegedly by Tewari, while the former was in custody in a criminal case and was undergoing treatment at a hospital.

BJP spokesperson K.L. Sharma refused to comment on the arrest of the gangster from the residence of the BJP MP from Bhayana Rajasthan. Sharma told the Express Newsline that since Ganga Ram Kohli was in Hyderabad, it was impossible to ascertain how Tewari was staying in his house. He said: 8220;Unless I do not get the details, I cannot comment.8221; He, however, added that the party will look into the matter.

A joint team of the Crime Branch and Special Task Force nabbed Tewari from Kohli8217;s Ferozshah Road residence today after receiving information about the gangster8217;s presence in the city.

While addressing a press conference, Additional Commissioner of Police Crime B.K Gupta said that Tewari had come to the Capital around five days ago and was living in one of the rooms in Kohli8217;s house.

The police said Tewari8217;s interrogation led to the recovery of a .30-bore Lama pistol, 15 live catridges and cash money amounting to Rs 50,000 from the gangster8217;s other hideout at 58-A, Sector III, R.K. Puram. This house reportedly belongs to Prakash Yadav, son of former MP D.P Yadav. A separate case under the Arms Act was registered against Tewari at the R.K. Puram police station.

Story continues below this ad

During interrogation, Tewari told Crime Branch officials that Pappu Yadav had paid him Rs 5 lakh and given him an AK-47 to kill Sarkar, who was his most vocal political opponent in Purnea, the police said. The case is being probed by the CBI.

According to the police, Tewari entered the world of crime in 1996 and took over the reins of the Sri Prakash Shukla gang after Shukla was killed in an encounter in Ghaziabad last year. Shukla who was involved in number of murders, was last year killed in an encounter with a combined team of Crime Branch and UP police. Investigations by the UP police revealed that Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was one of his targets. He was reportedly given a huge contract to kill the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

On being asked whether D.P. Yadav had links with the Sri Prakash Shukla gang, Gupta said: 8220;Tewari has not named D.P. Yadav yet. We are still investigating this angle.8221; He added that Kohli might also be questioned.

Tewari was wanted in 11 cases of murder and attempt to murder in UP and Bihar.