Surat: With the detention of five members of the Sajju Kothari gang, city police registered its fifth offence within three months under Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GujCTOC) Act on Tuesday, continuing its drive against organized crime in the city. The accused are involved in murder and attempt to murder cases registered in different police stations of the city. Sajju is notorious for running gambling activities around his home in Jamrukh Gali of Nanpura.
Athwa police station registered the fifth case under the new Act and booked gang leader Sajid alias Sajju Gulam Mohammad Kothari, his brother Yunis, Samir Salim Shaikh, Javid Gulam Hussain, Mohammad Arif alias Popat Shaikh, Arif Abdul Rehman Shaikh, Mohommad Kamil Ali and Hasnain Tahir Kokawala. The accused were booked under various sections of GujCTOC Act. Of the accused police detained Yunis, Javid, Arif Popat, Kamil and Arif Shaikh.
In 2018, the gang had thrashed a police sub-inspector in Nanpura when cops went to ask them to turn off the loud music system late in the night. “Majority of Sajju gang’s victims do not come to the police fearing backlash. The gang keeps people under threat to continue their illegal activities,” said a police officer in Athwa police station.
Sajju’s brother Arif Kothari is wanted for running a gambling den in Rander area. A major gambling den of Arif was busted by State Monitoring Cell recently.
“Police will finish criminal gangs who are trying to project themselves as above the law. Police will effectively enforce the law against such criminals,” asserted city police commissioner Ajay Tomar.
Along with the drive against drugs city police are identifying major gangs and started registering offences against them under GujCTOC. So far, gangs of Asif Tameta, Lalu Jalim, Ashraf Nagori, Vipul Gajipara and Altaf have been booked and arrested.