AN ALLEGED kingpin of the 2016 ambulance racket, was arrested again for extorting money from the drivers of private ambulances to allow them to operate smoothly in PGI.
Gagandeep Singh Maan aka Fauji, 33, has been facing a murder case trial in Mohali and attempt to murder cases in Haryana. He is currently out on bail in all the cases. Fauji was earlier arrested in January 2018, along with at least 10 other people, including certain PGI employees in the 2016 ambulance racket case.
“Maan was arrested today following a complaint of an ambulance driver Daljeet Singh. Daljeet Singh reported to police that Fauji along with other accused came at PGI in front of Night Food street in a white-coloured XUV500 carrying iron rods, sticks, and sharp-edged weapons, and demanded Rs 10,000 as extortion for running ambulances in PGI,” a police officer said.
As Daljeet refused to pay the money, the accused had beaten him and two other drivers, and threatened them with dire consequences, the officer further said. He said an FIR was filed and raids were conducted. The police officer also said that Fauji’s XUV500 has been seized and a hunt is on to nab other accused. Maan will be produced in a local court on Tuesday.
To the unversed, the ambulance racket of 2016 came to light when drivers of ambulances with the UT Red Cross Society apprised senior officers about a well-organised ambulance racket being operated at PGI in 2016. Private drivers used to park their ambulances near the Emergency, Advance Trauma Centre, and morgue in PGI, and charged high amounts to ferry bodies, patients from PGI to their native places.
The racket was allegedly being operated under Fauji, who also had links with certain PGI officers including some of security officials. Ward boys, employees working in the mortuary etc used to call these private ambulance drivers instead of Red Cross Society’s drivers, who charged minimal transport fees.