Externed goons party at gangster’s b’day

Nagpur: A dreaded gangster from south Nagpur, whose family members have crime records, is under police scanner for throwing birthday party at his Tajbagh-based residence last month in which several goons were guests.

The guests also included a few externed goons like Sumeet Chintalnar and many others from his Maya gang.

A photograph of Chintalnar with the gang, wishing the gangster on his birthday, has surfaced in the social media. TOI too is in possession of the photograph where Chintalnar and his gang can be spotted. The photograph was shared with senior police officers, including zonal DCP Nilesh Bharne and DCP (crime) Sambhaji Kadam, by TOI.

Chintalnar, externed from the city in December in 2017 for two years, was enjoying a free run in the city for having good rapport with some cops, especially from Ajni police station. He attended the party despite being externed.Chintalnar was rounded up after he had a tiff with two assistant PIs of crime branch a week ago at a dhabha on Wardha Road. However, Chintalnar got bail immediately.

Apart from Chintalnar, his close aides Bablu Fulzele, Shubham Gajghate, Pawan Choudhary also attended the gangster’s party. Police sources said Fulzele, Gajghate and Choudhury had faced actions under the provisions of externment as part of a gang, but it could not sustain through legal debates in the long run.

Sources said the gangster in question is involved in masterminding narcotics trade with a network across the city. With support from some cops at the grassroots level, the gangster too has been operating freely from behind the curtains.

It’s learnt that the gangster, though not booked after a fake complaint was registered against him in 2015, has been mentoring several goons and conducting illegal activities from his Tajbagh residence. Sources said the gangster’s role behind international human trafficking rackets too cannot be ruled.

A senior crime branch officer said cops had kept a watch on the gangster’s residence during his birthday. He claimed to have confronted the gangster for assembling the goons, especially the externed ones. “We had summoned him at our office and grilled him at length asking about the birthday party and his guests,” said the officer.

Kadam said he would ensure that the gangster and his racket is busted during the ongoing ‘Operation Crackdown’. “We have already acted upon Chintalnar and the rest will face the heat as well,” he said.