Mafia Crackdown In Noida After UP Encounter; Properties, Cars Attached

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police has attached illegal properties, including land and luxury cars, worth Rs 11.35 crore of dreaded gangsters Sundar Bhati and Anil Dujana and their associates in a crackdown on regional mafia, officials said on Sunday.

The crackdown began in Greater Noida on Saturday and continued on Sunday on the instructions of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to rein in the gangsters, a day after eight policemen were killed in Kanpur by henchmen of notorious criminal Vikas Dubey.

"In line with the chief minister's instructions, Police Commissioner Alok Singh ordered the attachment of properties worth Rs 7 crore which includes land and cars," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida, Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

"Land of water bodies illegally occupied by these gangs got reclaimed today (Saturday), illegal fences razed down. The action would continue unabated and illegal properties would be attached," he said.

The clampdown is being carried out mainly under Section 14(1) of the Gangsters Act, which allows attachment of illegal properties, in order to effectively curb gangsters, mafias and criminals and their associates, the officials said.

Central Noida DCP Harish Chander said properties of the Anil Dujana gang''s member Chandrapal have been attached and his vehicles impounded, while properties of Divya Sangwan, wife of another gang member Robin Tyagi, were also attached.

The seized cars include models of luxury brands like Audi and BMW, the officer said.

"On Saturday, illegal properties of mafias worth Rs 8 crore were attached. On Sunday, their properties worth Rs 3.35 crore were attached. So far, properties of eight gangsters worth Rs 11.35 crore have been attached," a police spokesperson said.

This is the first action taken by the Commissioner of Police under the Gangster Act for attachment of property under the commissionerate system of police in the district which started in January this year, the official said.

"The action will continue against criminals and mafias involved in criminal activities in future," the spokesperson added.