By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 18 Sep: In a big catch, Uttarakhand STF has arrested Deepak Sisodia, a close associate of underworld Don Chhota Rajan, from Banbasa at the India-Nepal border. As per police sources, the arrest was made early this morning. Sisodia is believed to be involved in the murder of a famous crime and investigative journalist in Mumbai in 2011.
He had been arrested in the past, too, and was serving a life sentence on the murder charge. He was visiting his home in Haldwani after being released on parole from Mumbai’s Amravati Central Jail in January, last year, when he absconded. As per the parole schedule, gangster Deepak Sisodia had to go back to jail in March but did not turn up. He is believed to have run away to Nepal.
Mumbai Police had registered a case against him at the Haldwani police station of Uttarakhand under FIR number 327/22 section 224 IPC chiefly because he is a native of Haldwani. The SSP, Nainital, has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for the STF team that arrested Sisodia. Sisodia is considered to be a sharp shooter.
According to Uttarakhand STF SSP Ayush Aggarwal, the state police had been making efforts for the last one year to arrest Deepak Sisodia, who is associated with Chhota Rajan gang. But Sisodia had been hiding in Nepal all this while, making his arrest difficult. However, STF got hold of confidential information that Deepak was coming to Haldwani, secretly. Late last night, STF Kumaon got information that Deepak was reaching India early in the morning of Monday. Based on the input received through intelligence, the STF team laid an ambush in Banbasa area. As soon as Sisodiya reached Banbasa after crossing the Nepal border in his Ford Fiesta car, he was arrested near the railway station. The accused has been brought from Banbasa and lodged in Haldwani police station. Now the legal formalities have been completed. After that, he will be handed over to Mumbai Police soon.
