6 members of extortion gang held in Greater Noida

A man wanted in 18 criminal cases and five of his associates have been arrested in Greater Noida after a gunfight with the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police, officials said Wednesday.

The gang, which extorted money from several companies and acquired work contracts by pressurising them, was held on Tuesday night, officials said.

The group's leader, Pawan Nagar, was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 and had 18 criminal cases registered against him at a police station in Greater Noida, a senior official of Noida STF said.

"Following a tip-off on the gang's movement in Ecotech 3 area, a Noida STF team reached the spot, where an encounter ensued between the two sides. Six gang members, including Nagar, were arrested," Deputy Superintendent of Police, STF, Rajkumar Mishra said.

Those held have been identified as Pawan Nagar and his aides Jeetendra Singh, Jagat Singh Nagar, Vinod Singh, Chandan Kumar Sharma and Kamal, he said.

Four firearms along with ammunition, 30 gm brown sugar and two SUVs -- a bullet-proof Scorpio and a Fortuner -- were seized from their possession, he said.

Nagar has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder) and under the Arms Act, Mishra said.

His aides have been charged under the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he added.

According to an official, the brown sugar seized could be worth around Rs 5 lakh.