Retd soldier booked under MCOCA

Had joined notorious gang of land grabbers, murderers

Had joined notorious gang of land grabbers, murderers

AS an army official he was trained to fight against the terrorists, but now after hanging up the uniform Narender Bhati is facing charges under an anti-terrorism law.

The 43-year-old retired army man had been working for the dreaded Jagvir Singh gang. Both Bhati and Jagvir

In the net: Narendra Bhati, a land mafia, who is arrested under MOCCA, with Delhi Police special Cell officials in New Delhi on Monday. PIC/MID DAY

have been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).u00a0u00a0u00a0
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The Jagvir gang had 15-20 members and have 26 cases of murder, robbery, land grabbing and Arms Act against them.

Bhati used to work as a security guard in Loni, Ghaziabad after retiring from the army in 2001. According to the police, Bhati used to get false papers made of properties in the town and then threaten the actual owners into giving up.

Bhati was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell from Ghaziabad. He is married and lived in Timarpur area of north Delhi. Bhati carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head.

Modus operandi

After quitting army in 2001, Bhati joined Jagvir's gang. Jagvir's gang used forged papers to stake claim on disputed properties and threaten the actual owner's with their muscle power. Bhati had a licenced rifle, which was seized by the police after he got involved in a property dispute where he threatened to eliminate the original landowner.

The gang used to prepare forged documents of plots/lands in the name of one of their associates and then forcibly occupied the piece of land. Thereafter, they bargained with the owner of land and after extorting a large sum of money they left the plot. About 10 cases of cheating, forgery, criminal trespass, land grabbing were registered against the gang in Samaipur Badli, Jahangir Puri and Swaroop Nagar, Delhi in the last 10 years.u00a0

"We have arrested Bhati and are interrogating him. Investigations into the case is on," said a senior special cell officer.