Gurugram, Jul 27 (IANS): Days after the arrest of noted criminal Rakesh alias Kala Khairmpuria, the Special Task Force (STF) of the Haryana Police has also arrested his close aide Rohit who was arrested from Bengaluru airport on Saturday.

Rohit was involved in providing arms and shelter to Khairmpuria gang members when the gang members had allegedly opened fire at a Mahindra Show in Hisar district demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crores and threatened the victims with dire consequences.

Soon after the incident Rohit fled abroad and was living with Khairmpuria.

The STF has already arrested Khairmpuria who had been evading law enforcement agencies since he jumped parole in 2020, an official said.

Throughout this period, the accused continued to orchestrate criminal activities initially from within India and after fleeing abroad from countries such as UAE, Armenia and Thailand.

Rohit fled the country along with Rakesh in early 2023. Rakesh operated his criminal gang from abroad, forging alliances with local gangs and orchestrating violent acts.

Rakesh’s affiliations extended to notorious criminal groups such as the Himanshu Bhau Gang and Neeraj Faridpuria Gang, contributing to a crime syndicate responsible for several high-profile crimes including targeted killings and extortion, said an STF officer.

To nab Rohit the STF carried out a thorough investigation to locate him. During the investigation, STF teams were able to establish his identity. After strenuous efforts, he was zeroed in a foreign country.

The STF immediately coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and also got the relevant Interpol references and notices issued against him.

The MHA promptly took cognizance of the matter and coordinated with the various agencies both in India and abroad.

The required legal documents about establishing his identity and criminal record were shared with concerned law enforcement agencies through MHA.

This collaborative effort led to the deportation of Rohit and he was then arrested by the STF teams from Bengaluru airport and brought to the city.