Gangster Kang recruited youths through social media, say Ludhiana police

Aides of the gangster used to find youths with poor financial condition and inform Kang, who used to help their probable targets with cash and later infused them in his gang, Ludhiana police said

US-based gangster Lovejeet Kang and his aides made recruitments of youths for his gang through social networking sites, police said on Saturday.

The six aides of gangster Lovejeet Kang in custody of the Ludhiana police on Thursday. (HT file)

Aides of the gangster used to find youths with poor financial condition or who are in dire need of financial support and inform Kang, who used to help their probable targets with cash and later infused them in his gang, police said.

Inspector General of Police (IG, Ludhiana Zone) Kaustubh Sharma said that the gangsters were misusing social networking sites to lure youths.

According to the senior police officer, the gangster used to play with the sentiments of youths and instigate them against the system stating that the government did nothing for them and if they wanted to be rich, they have only one way that is extortion and kidnapping.

The accused also assured them that they will never be arrested and if they did get arrested, he would provide support to them, the officer said.

The Khanna police on Thursday said to have busted the gang of extortionists being run by Kang with the arrest of his six aides and recovered 13 weapons, 11 magazines, 3 bullets and 2 two-wheelers from their possession.

Police said the arrested men revealed about the operation of the gang. The accused also told police that they were planning to kidnap an NRI, but the police arrested them before executing the plan.

Following the directions of Kang, they were conducting recce of a US-based transporter to kidnap him and had procured weapons for the same, they said.

Police said that the arrested accused told police that Kang used to find their probable targets in the US and Canada and they would target the NRIs after they would come to India.

On January 18, the Khanna police had busted the target killing and extortion module operated by a US-based gangster with links to the international terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International with the arrest of 13 accused, including a woman. According to the police at least 14 political and religious leaders of Punjab were on the target of the accused.