Who is Gangster Salman? Illegal Arms Supplier Arrested in Rajasthan!

Jaipur, July 2 (IANS) In a significant operation, police have arrested two criminals, gangster Salman Khan and his accomplice Rakesh Kumar, in Rajasthan, seizing a substantial cache of illegal arms from their possession.

The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in partnership with Pratapgarh Police, executed a successful raid, resulting in the confiscation of 14 illegal foreign and indigenous weapons, 1,860 cartridges, and 10 magazines.

This arrest and arms recovery have unveiled a widespread network of illicit arms trafficking in the region.

Following a tip-off, a specialized team including ASI Shankar Dayal Sharma, Head Constables Suresh Kumar and Kamal Singh, along with Constables Naresh Kumar, Ratiram, and Suresh Kumar (driver), was dispatched to Banswara, Pratapgarh, and Chittorgarh.

The first breakthrough occurred on June 28 when Chhoti Sadari Police apprehended Rakesh Kumar (48), a resident of Jhalawar, on the Chhoti Sadari–Neemuch road, with a pistol in his possession.

Rakesh was a vital link in the arms smuggling operation, and his capture led to further developments.

During questioning, Rakesh revealed details about another significant figure in the criminal underworld, Salman Khan (38), a resident of Nagda, Ujjain. Already incarcerated in Banswara Jail for an extortion case, Salman was summoned by the AGTF, and his interrogation unearthed shocking revelations.

Reportedly, Salman's father, Sher Khan Pathan, was a police officer who engaged in criminal activities before being killed in a police encounter.

Despite possessing 90 bighas of ancestral land, Salman opted for a life of crime, engaging in land grabbing and violence while masquerading as a property dealer.

To evade legal scrutiny, Salman fled to Dubai with a forged passport, mortgaging his cache of illegal arms to his associate Mohammad Nawaz from Ratlam for Rs 30 lakh, intending to retrieve it post-release.

Based on Salman's disclosures, police recovered a significant stockpile of illegal weapons and ammunition from the Chhoti Sadari area.

The confiscated items included a 12-bore pump-action gun, a .22 bore rifle, three .22 bore revolvers, one .32 bore automatic Mauser, and eight .32 bore pistols.

Furthermore, ten empty magazines, two magazine fillers, and a considerable quantity of cartridges of various bores were also seized.

Salman already faces multiple criminal charges, including assault, criminal intimidation, theft, attempted murder, extortion, violations of the Arms Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in the network.