Highlights
- Surat police demolished illegal properties of notorious gangsters Aarif, Sajju Kothari
- Aarif had escaped police custody two days earlier
- Cops have also attached other properties of the gangsters
Gujarat: The Surat police on Friday demolished illegal properties of notorious gangsters Aarif Kothari and his brother Sajju Kothari. Police carried out the demolition with the assistance of the Surat Municipal Corporation.
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Aarif had escaped police custody two days earlier. A team of police officals had earlier gone to arrest the gangster based on the inputs that he was hiding in Subhash Nagar area but the police party was attacked by the mob and Aarif escaped with the help of his aides.
Aarif has been charged with several cases. The wanted gangster is a history-sheeter who has long been on the Gujarat police’s wanted criminals list. 12 other associates have been arrested. The cops have also attached his other properties.
The demolition drive holds huge significance in view of similar drives in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. The demolition drive by the NDMC was launched in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area on Wednesday following Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta's letter that came after violence erupted in the area during a Hanuman Jayanti procession.
The drive, however, was halted after one-and-a-half hour following a Supreme Court order to maintain status quo. On Thursday, the Supreme Court extended its order directing maintenance of the status quo on the razing of buildings in the violence-hit area and said it would take a "serious view" of the demolition that was carried out even after its order was communicated to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) mayor.
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