Bokaro (Jharkhand), April 2 (IANS) In a major crackdown on organised crime in Jharkhand’s Bokaro, police have arrested seven operatives linked to the interstate gangs of Aman Sahu and Prince Khan, officials said on Thursday.

These gangs are accused of running an extortion network and spreading fear among businessmen, police said.

During the operation, the mastermind, Prince Kumar Gupta alias ‘Bhatia’, sustained a bullet injury in an encounter with the police and has been admitted to Bokaro General Hospital for treatment.

Addressing a press conference, Bokaro Superintendent of Police Harvinder Singh said the arrested accused have been identified as Prince Kumar Gupta, Shyam Kumar Singh, Ajay Singh, Omprakash Pal, Jainendra Shukla, Golu Kumar, and Bhupendra Singh.

The encounter took place in the early hours when a police team, acting on Gupta’s disclosure, went to recover hidden weapons. As the team reached the spot, the accused opened fire, prompting retaliatory action by the police. Gupta was injured in the leg and was subsequently apprehended.

Police investigations revealed that the gang operated through a well-organised network. Local operatives would gather mobile numbers of prominent businessmen, contractors, and real estate dealers and pass them on to key handlers, including Rahul Dubey, Mayank Singh, and Prince Khan. Extortion calls were then allegedly made either from abroad or from within prisons.

The arrested accused were also responsible for collecting extortion money on behalf of the gang. Police have seized multiple mobile phones used in the racket, SIM cards from different service providers, and weapons from their possession.

Officials said that in recent days, several businessmen in Bokaro had received threatening calls and messages from a person identifying himself as ‘Prakash Shukla’, triggering panic across the industrial city.

In response, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted under the supervision of the City DSP. Using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the SIT laid a trap and successfully dismantled the local network of both gangs, leading to the arrest of all seven accused.

Police said this is a significant step towards curbing organised extortion and restoring a sense of security among the business community in the region.

–IANS

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