Punjab's extortion case: NIA team searches UP village for suspects

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 7 (IANS) A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached a village in Meerut district to search for two men, who are suspected to have supplied illegal arms for an extortion racket that was busted in Punjab's Moga in May this year.The gang is allegedly being run by Khalistan separatists settled abroad.The NIA team handed over notices to the families of the two suspects on Wednesday and asked them to appear at their office in Chandigarh for questioning.The first case in the alleged extortion racket was registered in Moga on May 22 this year. And after the names of separatists came up, the NIA took over the probe in the case on June 10.In July, it had arrested an alleged arms trafficker from Meerut.The NIA had said in a statement then, that "Gagandeep Singh was involved in smuggling of weapons on the directions of Arshdeep, one of the main accused in the case and a close aide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force."According to sources, the homes of Jalish Ahmad and Mohd Khilafat in the Radhna village were raided by the NIA team.

--IANS amita/dpb

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