Increasing number of criminal gangs serious concern for Punjabi Diaspora

Punjabi Diaspora expressed its serious concern about the increasing numbers of criminal gangs in Punjab .This was disclosed in a press release issued by Satnam Singh Chahal executive director North American Punjabi Association (NAPA).Chahal said that arrests of gangsters in the past have led to seizure of sophisticated weapons from them which  is causing a very serious concern for the Punjabi Diaspora. While expressing grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and alarming rise in “organized” crime in Punjab, he said  that the state was on the brink of “Jungle Raj. “This is very unfortunate that only ten gangsters were convicted out of 105 who were arrested between 1996 and 2016. As many as 37 gangsters managed to escape from police custody between January 2015 to March 2016. Eight have jumped bail,” added Chahal. He said that organized crime is not only getting institutionalized but also glamorized in Punjab. “This is the worst thing that can happen to a state,”  he warned in the statement. Punjabi Diaspora is feeling insecure as criminal gangs had lost the fear of law. He referred to the kidnapping crimes where the parents had to pay a huge ransom to secure   safe release of their kins. Punjabi Diaspora has a fear in mind that gangsters are goons of the high and mighty. Many among them are on the payrolls of the liquor or sand mafia. Some work for illegal moneylenders or as recovery teams for banks and finance companies. “They also help in land grabbing. They rob people; kidnap children for ransom .He disclosed that there will be less numbers of Punjabi Diaspora this time which will participate in the coming Punjab Assembly elections due to the fear of increasing number of criminal gangs in Punjab,” said Chahal.