In a significant crackdown on organized crime, the Rajkot Crime Branch has registered a case under the stringent Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GujCTOC) Act against 14 alleged associates of the infamous Batli Gang. Police have successfully arrested nine of the accused in this major operation.
Gang Leader Already Behind Bars
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Jagdish Bangarwa revealed that the organized crime syndicate, known as the Batli gang, was formed several years ago by Savan alias Lali Vaghela. A case has now been formally registered against Vaghela and 13 others. Vaghela is currently lodged in a Vadodara jail under the preventive detention provisions of the PASA Act. The crime branch will proceed to formally arrest him in connection with the new GujCTOC case.
List of Arrested Accused and Ongoing Manhunt
The nine individuals taken into custody have been identified as:
- Sarfaraz alias Ido Qadri
- Kamlesh alias Lalu Parmar
- Sameer alias Dhamo Sheikh
- Ishoba Dal
- Mirkhan Dal
- Aslam alias Circuit Sheikh
- Suleman Dal
- Irfan Bhanu
- Sahil alias Bhuro Patdiya
Police officials stated that the gang has been actively involved in criminal activities since 2016. Efforts are currently underway to trace and apprehend the remaining four accused named in the First Information Report (FIR).
Broader Crackdown on Organized Crime Networks
Rajkot Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bharat Basiya provided context to this action, noting that since 2024, the city crime branch has invoked the GujCTOC Act against four major gangs. These include the Chaddi-Baniyan gang, the Painda gang, the Margha gang, and now the Batli gang.
He further disclosed that investigations are actively progressing into properties suspected to have been acquired through illegal means by members of the Painda and Margha gangs. Steps to attach these illegally acquired assets are expected in the coming days.
In a strategic move to proactively combat organized crime, the crime branch has also prepared a specialized database. This system aims to identify criminal gangs whose members have been involved in more than two criminal cases over the past decade and are engaged in syndicated criminal activities.
