Deserter Constable, Murderer, Gangster, Wanted Robber and Arms Smuggler Apprehended; Huge Cache of 31 Illegal Firearms Recovered after Shootout

A team of Special Cell led by Inspector Govind Sharma has apprehended a desperate and wanted gangster and busted an Inter-State gang of illegal firearm peddlers after an exchange of fire on 05/07/2015. The arrested accused is a deserter Constable from Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and is involved in many cases of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, Gangster Act, Arms Act etc. in various Police Stations of District Aligarh, UP. The accused has been identified as Chotu Kumar @ Chote Fauji, aged 27 years, s/o Sallu Singh @ Saligram, r/o Village Kachor Pura, PS Gonda, District Aligarh, UP. From his possession, one loaded pistol having one live round in its chamber and 6 live rounds in a separate magazine were recovered. During search of the car, in which the accused was moving. 30 sophisticated illegal pistols,  which were being smuggled into Delhi for supply to Delhi and Haryana based criminals were recovered. A case vide FIR No. 46/2015, u/ss. 186/353/307 IPC and ss. 25/27 Arms Act, PS Special Cell has been registered in this regard.

This team of Special Cell, which has to its credit arrests of over 100 arms peddlers and recoveries of about 500 illegal firearms manufactured, procured and supplied from MP and Bihar, has been keeping a close watch on various Inter-State firearm peddlers. In continuation of its action against such criminals, on 05/07/2015, an information was received that an ex-serviceman Chotu Kumar, an active member of a syndicate involved in procurement and supply of illegal firearms manufactured in Khargone, MP, will come towards the under construction road at Signature Bridge, behind Nanaksar Gurudwara, Near Bus Stand Rajiv Nagar, Delhi in a car bearing a Delhi registration number for delivery of a consignment of firearms to criminals of Haryana and DelhiNCR. Accordingly, a team led by Inspector Govind Sharma and consisting of SI Krishan Kumar, ASI Ajaybir, HCs Rajkumar, Umesh, Sanjeev, Surender, Sandeep and Rajiv and Ct. Anshu was formed and a trap was laid at the above mentioned location. In late evening hours, the above named Chotu Kumar @ Chote Fauji came at the spot driving a Maruti Wagon R car and after being identified by the source,  the team approached the vehicle. At this,  the desperate criminal attempted to flee. During this attempt, he took out a firearm and opened fire compelling the police party to return fire in self-defense. After a brief shootout, the accused was apprehended,  when the last cartridge in his pistol apparently got stuck in the chamber. On his personal search, a pistol with 1 live round in its chamber, 1 empty magazine and 6 live rounds in another magazine were recovered. Subsequently, on checking of the travelling bag kept in his car, 30 illegal pistols were also recovered.

During his preliminary interrogation,the accused person revealed that he had procured the recovered illegal firearms from Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, which is infamous for manufacture and supply of high quality illegal firearms for onward supply to criminals of Haryana and Delhi NCR. The details of the source and intended recipients are being withheld for operational purposes. He also disclosed that for every pistol sold, he used to earn Rs. 5,000/- and had been living a luxurious life on such proceeds of crime. The car being used by the accused has been found to be stolen from PS Greater Kailash area. Investigations into the probable nexus of motor vehicle thieves with firearm smugglers are continuing.

Profile:

Accused Chotu Kumar @ Chotu @ Fauji was born in 1988 to a farmer family. He studied up to XII Standard from Adarsh Inter College situated in Kaimthal, Aligarh and thereafter, was selected in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as a Constable. In December 2013, while he was posted in Guwahati and had come home on leave, he got into an altercation while attending a marriage party and along with associates. During altercation, he opened fire due to which an innocent guest to the function was killed. After being arrested in this case, he never returned to his paramilitary force and jumped into the world of crime. In jail, he came in the contact of various gangsters and after being released on bail, committed a series of crimes including robberies and was subsequently arrested under the UP Gangster Act and other laws from PS Gonda and PS Iglas, District Aligarh, UP.

In jail, he understood the dynamics of weapon trade and was roped into the same by cartel operators of West UP. Every successful assignment consisting of procuring firearms from Khargone and their onward delivery  to the clientele in Delhi, Haryana and West UP used to enrich him handsomely. The accused has been produced before the concerned court and his Police Custody remand has been obtained. Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of his syndicate. The SSB is also being contacted to verify his service details.