Jalandhar: The Punjabi diaspora today raised serious concerns over the increasing number of incidents of gang wars and the recovery of sophisticated weapons from various gangsters just ahead of the election season.

Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director, North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), said the arrest of gangsters in the past had led to the seizure of sophisticated weapons from them which was causing a serious concern for the diaspora.

Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and alarming rise in organised crime in Punjab, he said the state was on the brink of Jungle Raj.

“It is very unfortunate that only 10 gangsters were convicted out of 105 who were arrested between 1996 and 2016. As many as 37 gangsters managed to escape from police custody between January 2015 and March 2016. Eight have jumped bail,” said Chahal.

He said organized crime was not only getting institutionalised but also glamorised in Punjab. And that is the worst thing that can happen to a state. Punjabi diaspora is feeling insecure as criminal gangs had lost the fear of the law.

He referred to the kidnapping crimes where parents had to pay a huge ransom to secure the safe release of their kin.

The Punjabi diaspora has a fear in mind that gangsters are goons of the high and mighty. Many among them are on the payrolls of the liquor or sand mafia. Some work for illegal moneylenders or as recovery agents for banks and finance companies.

They also help in land grabbing. They rob people and kidnap children for ransom.

Chahal disclosed that there would be less people from the diaspora this time who will participate in the coming Punjab Assembly elections due to the fear of increasing number of criminal gangs in the state.