Jaipur: City police Sunday arrested a key member of an extortion gang who fled after opening fire on a police team in June.SHO (Bhatt Basti) Hari Om Singh said the accused, identified as Rajesh Swami, was a close aide of absconding gangster Sandeep Raj and played a crucial role in the June 1 firing incident in Jaipur’s Ramnagaria area. A pistol and live cartridges were seized from Swami’s possession.Singh said Swami was instrumental in running the gang’s extortion operations and provided shelter and logistical support to its members. The gang is believed to have extorted money from gambling rackets, land mafias, and private moneylenders. “They threatened their targets and resorted to firing when demands were not met,” Singh said.The same gang was behind the June 1 incident in which Sandeep Raj opened fire at a police patrol before fleeing in a black Scorpio. A senior police official said a dedicated team was constituted to trace the suspects. “After the firing, the Scorpio was hidden in Chomu. The gang kept moving to evade arrest, but Swami was eventually tracked down and arrested from Bhatt Basti,” the official said.Police said Swami not only arranged firearms but also managed finances and logistics for the gang. He also dropped Sandeep Raj at Phulera railway station in a different vehicle to help him escape. During interrogation, Swami confessed that the Scorpio was hidden immediately after the incident to avoid detection at police checkpoints. Police are now intensifying efforts to locate Sandeep Raj and other gang members.Officials said the gang operated with a well-structured network, preying on vulnerable targets and using violence to maintain control. “The recovery of weapons and Swami’s confession confirms the gang’s organised criminal operations,” a senior officer said, adding that more arrests are expected in the coming days.
