The Rajasthan Police arrested a gangster who stormed into a police station six years ago to help free an associate Wednesday. Rajveer ‘Lara’ Gurjar has allegedly been absconding since he broke into Behror police station in Bhiwadi district with some other associates to help free fellow gangster Vikram ‘Papla’ Gurjar in 2019.
According to Rajasthan Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Lara, who had a bounty of Rs 1 lakh and got his nickname because of his fondness for the former West Indies batsman Brian Lara, was arrested from Rewari, Haryana, Tuesday. The police also found an AK-56 and other weapons from him.
Rajveer was produced before the magistrate’s court in Behror Wednesday morning and has been sent to police custody for five days.
Additional Director General of Police (AGTF & Crime) MM Dinesh addressed a press conference after the arrest.
“On the intervening night of September 5 and 6, 2019, Haryana’s notorious gangster Vikram Gurjar alias Papla, resident of Khairoli district Mahendragarh, was arrested by the Behror police station of Bhiwadi district with a Scorpio and Rs 31.90 lakh in cash. The next day, gangster Rajveer Gurjar alias Lara and over 30 other miscreants attacked the police station with AK-47 and other sophisticated weapons and freed Papla Gurjar from the lockup and fled,” he said.
Lara’s arrest brings the total number of those arrested in the case to 32. This number includes Papla, who was arrested with girlfriend from Kolhapur in Maharashtra in January 2021.
According to the ADGP Dinesh, Lara was arrested through an eponymous operation. “Since Lara neither has a mobile nor uses social media, the AGTF strengthened its informer network to arrest him,” he said.
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In the last six years, the gangster lived in several states — including Karnataka, Kolhapur, Nashik Maharashtra, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi – allegedly never staying in a place too long.
“During this time, he changed his disguises several times, stayed in various several places in South India,” the officer said.
The cases against him include murder and assault, the officer said, adding that he was on bail when the incident occurred.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd