Patiala police arrest 2 student party leaders for providing drugs, money to gangsters

Two top leaders of Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU) — which derives its name from Rupinder Gandhi, a slain campus leader who had a criminal record — were arrested by the police on charges of providing drugs and money to gangsters, from a dhaba near Rajpura on Tuesday. They are Armandeep Singh Cheema of Patiala, who is president of the GGSU’s Chandigarh campus unit of Panjab University, and Harman Singh Virk of Samana, who is chief patron of the union.

Police also claimed recovery of 700 grams of drug powder and two suspicious passports from the two men, who actively participated in recent student council elections at PU in Chandigarh.

“During initial interrogation, they have confessed that they used to supply drugs to Kulpreet Singh alias Neeta Deol, one of the escapees in last year’s Nabha jailbreak,” said superintendent of police Harwinder Singh Virk. “They also provided financial assistance to Deol and had links with other gangsters, including Gurpreet Singh Sekhon and Ricky Moga.”

As for the passports, these are in the names of Kulwinder Singh of Sidhana village in Bathinda district, who is also accused in the jailbreak case, and one Jasdeep Kaur. “Acting on the tip-off and some vital clues, a team led by Bikramjit Singh, in-charge, crime investigation agency (CIA)-2, was tracing their movements,” the SP said. Their car too was impounded. “We will seek their remand for further investigation.”

The case against them has been registered under sections 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death or hurt), 384 (extortion), 392 (robbery) and 506 (criminal intimidation), besides 120B (criminal conspiracy), 148 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly), of the Indian Penal Code. Sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Arms Act have also been pressed in the FIR at Rajpura sadar police station.

Police said Cheema was recently released on bail from the Patiala jail in another Arms Act case.

The GGSU was founded by Rupinder Gandhi, shot dead in 2003 in alleged gang war, who faced cases of attempt to murder among others. His elder brother Manminder Gandhi, who had visited PU campus during the student polls, was in August shot dead outside his home in Rasoolpur village of Khanna.