AHMEDABAD: Mangal Punjabi, 27, is son of a factory worker, jobless and booked in seven cases of extortion and criminal intimidation. Munno Tiwari is 25, son of a small factory owner, has three such cases against him. Meet Ahmedabad’s newest gang – the ‘Fracture gang’ derived from the Sanjay Dutt blockbuster ‘Vaastav’ because they end up breaking bones of their victims, or simply stabbing them.

Punjabi and Tiwari are the only two members of this gang who have been arrested. The rest continue to terrorise areas like Odhav in the city.

Local residents call them ‘lukkhas’ or goons. Sporting tikas, they come on bikes and strike a prospering trader – threaten him, beat him, extort money and zoom off – in less than three minutes.

Traders in Odhav are terrorised more because the gang seems to have a deep nexus with the police, who are unable to nip the gang in the bud.

The gangsters have specific roles. Tiwari is an intelligence gatherer while Punjabi intimidates and extorts money. Then come the assaulters. Each bike rides three gang members.

Two threaten and beat up the victim while the third keeps the engine running for a quick getaway.

Proof of the gang’s clout is that at least three junior cops got transferred when they tried to check them.

“They strike in the evening and demand bikes, mobile phones, money or eviction of property. If refused they attack with swords, knives and metal pipes,” said Nanji Thakkar, owner of an industrial machine tools factory who was asked to pay up Rs 20,000. When he denied, the gang members stabbed him in the stomach and chest. He claims that police refused to register his complaint.

“We have got 24 names of the gang members and we will give these to the police,” said Janak Patel, a member of Odhav Traders’ Association.

Patel said: “They generally sport a red tika on forehead and demand protection money. Owner of a private finance agency in Odhav supported them and bought them 20 new bikes without number plates.”

Odhav police officials, however, shrug off the ‘gang’ tag. “These are goons and unemployed youth. Branding them as a gang is a bit far-fetched. The incidents of extortion have no specific modus operandi. Some blackmail factory owners, but mainly because of old rivalry,” said M B Raol, inspector of Odhav police station.

Source