Punjab Police secure gangster Budda's deportation from Armenia

In a major breakthrough in its campaign against gangsters, the Punjab Police on Friday will arrest wanted notorious gangster Sukhpreet Singh Dhaliwal, aka Budda, from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi, after successfully securing his deportation from Armenia, said the police.

According to Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta, Budda is scheduled to land around midnight at the airport and would be taken into custody by a team of the Punjab Police team.

"The self-styled chief of the Davinder Bambiha gang, Budda, was facing the law in more than 15 criminal cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), etc. He had also recently come to notice for his contacts with pro-Khalistan elements," the police said in a statement.

He was convicted in a murder case of 2011, but had jumped the parole in 2016 and was declared a Proclaimed Offender.

Adding that he is responsible for various criminal, extortion and unlawful activities in Punjab, the police said that cases against Budda are also registered in various police stations of Haryana.

"The Punjab Police continued to pursue him, but narrowly missed nabbing him in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Eventually, he was tracked down in Aremina, following which the Punjab Police got a Look Out Circular (LOC) and Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued from Interpol," Gupta added.

The official further said: "A precisely executed operation led to the apprehension of Budda by the Armenian Police on August 8. Soon thereafter, a few pro-Khalistan activists in Europe had posted an update on Facebook about Budda's arrest calling him 'a strong voice for Khalistan in Punjab'."

"In fact, Budda had earlier claimed responsibility on his Facebook account for the elimination of Maninder Pal Bittu, an activist of Dera Sacha Sauda who was murdered inside Nabha Jail," he added.

Subsequently, a special Punjab Police team under Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, AIG Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, and Bikram Brar, DSP OCCU was deputed for coordinating the deportation of the fugitive criminal.

Giving details of Budda's antecedents, the DGP said the gangster was actively involved in extortion business in Punjab and had gained notoriety as one of the most feared and dreaded criminals of the state after the death of Vicky Gounder.