In a bid to further tighten the noose on financial sources of criminals, the Noida administration has written to all 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh requesting their cooperation in identifying and attaching properties of those booked under the Gangsters Act here, officials said Friday.
As many as 751 people have been booked under the stringent Gangstersand Anti-Social Activities (Prevention)Act, 1986 in Gautam Buddh Nagar since April 2017, the maximum for any district in the state, the officials said.
In last six months, 157 properties, both movable and immovable, of 122 gangsters have been attached by the administration here, District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh said.
Addressing a press conference along with district police chief Vaibhav Krishna, Singh said, "The move is aimed at bringing a procedural change in the system."
"A database has been prepared in Gautam Buddh Nagar in which 751 gangsters and their properties have been listed. In the last six months, we have attached 157 properties of 122 gangsters which include land, houses, vehicles and bank accounts, among others," he said.
"Now I have written to DMs off all 75 districts in the state. We have shared with them all details of these gangsters and sought their cooperation in identifying and attaching the properties of these anti-social elements to further break their financial sources of income," Singh said.
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Once the details are shared, the information would provided to the district judge and the property attached. "If any claims are made on the property's ownership through legal procedure and they are justified, then okay otherwise, the property would remain attached."
In an unprecedented move to "cut the financial support" of the criminals, the district administration had announced on September 27 last year that it would attach the "ill gotten"properties, both movable and immovable, and wealth of thesegangsters.
According to section 14 of theAct, if a district magistrate has reason to believe that any property, whether moveable or immovable, in possession of any person has been acquired by a gangster as a result of the commission of an offence triable under this Act, he may order attachment of such property whether or not cognizance of such offence has been taken by any court.
Singh also offered support to other districts in identifying and attaching properties of similar criminals in other parts of the state.
"If anybody writes to us, we can help identify and share details about whatever properties these gangsters have in Gautam Buddh Nagar," he said.
"We believe that once the finances of such anti-social elements are hit, they will have no other option but to come in line with the law," he added.
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