Gurgaon: Police demolished the house of jailed gangster Kaushal Chaudhary Tuesday and cleared encroachment from govt land in Naharpur Rupa as part of a crackdown on properties allegedly linked to criminals and organised crime.According to Sadar police, the illegal construction, measuring around 150 square yards, had been raised after encroachment on land at Naharpur Rupa. The structure was completely demolished with the help of heavy machinery and the land was cleared. Locals from Naharpur Rupa allegedly resisted the demolishment and plead with police to stop. However, police brought the situation under control and went ahead with the demolishment.Police said Chaudhary, a resident of Naharpur Rupa, is involved in more than 72 criminal cases, including 35 registered in Gurgaon. The cases include serious offences such as murder, attempt to murder and violations of Arms Act, besides offences under other provisions of law.Sandeep Turan, police spokesperson, said the property had been constructed illegally and was allegedly being used in connection with organised criminal activities. The police also said Chaudhary had allegedly collected rent from the property.The action was carried out by Crime Branch Manesar in coordination with the departments concerned. Heavy police deployment was made to ensure law and order during the demolition.The latest action comes months after police demolished a dairy linked to Chaudhary in Naharpur Rupa in April. At the time, police had said Chaudhary had encroached on Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land and constructed a dairy near his residence.Chaudhary was also booked for the Aug 2021 murder of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera in Mohali. This murder was allegedly the key reason behind the broad daylight murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala by the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang in the following year.Chaudhary was also named in connection with the March 2022 killing of international kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian during a kabaddi match. The killing was linked to the wider gang rivalry involving Kaushal Chaudhary-Bambiha gangs.Kaushal was extradited from Dubai in 2019 and was booked under UAPA by National Investigation Agency in 2022. Sources said Chaudhary continues to operate his criminal network from jail. In 2022, his gang was involved in a confrontation with Lawrence Bishnoi gang for control over the liquor trade in the city, leading to multiple shootings.Sadar police said Tuesday’s demolition was part of its drive against land mafias, habitual offenders and illegal constructions allegedly financed or established through criminal networks. They said the campaign, which began earlier this year, is aimed at protecting govt land, removing illegal encroachments and disrupting properties allegedly used to facilitate organised criminal activity.“Earlier, Duty Magistrate gave them time and had served notices that they should first remove their belongings, and on that basis the demolition was carried out Tuesday,” a police officer said.
