Nine criminals planning to disrupt Delhi polls arrested

Nine members of a gang of criminals were arrested while planning to disrupt the free and fair elections in Delhi Sunday, police said Friday.

The criminals, members of the Neeraj Bawana group were arrested from Bawana area in outer Delhi Thursday. Five firearms and two cars were recovered from their possession.

Police said Neeraj Bawana is a relative of Congress candidate Reeta Shokeen, who is contesting from Mundka.

"Inputs were received that members of this (Neeraj Bawana) gang were regularly visiting the area of Mundka to extort money from local business establishments as well as to intimidate the voters and rivals into submission in favour of the candidate belonging to the family of the gangster," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

Yadav said the arrest of these criminals created a sensation in the area which alerted Neeraj Bawana and thus he could not be arrested.