Kaushal confesses to killing Congress leader

Gurugram: Dreaded gangster Kaushal, who was recently brought back to India from Dubai and arrested, has confessed of his hand in ordering the killing of Congress leader Vikas Chaudhury.

According to police sources, Kaushal had demanded Rs 1 crore from Chaudhary but was rebuffed by the politician, who reportedly told the gangster, "Kal ka ladka mujhse rangdari mangega? Dobara phone mat Karna. (How did a rookie like you dare to make an extortion call to me?)

Kaushal told his interrogators this hurt his ego. "I asked him (Chaudhary) to pay me protection money of Rs 1 crore. He took me lightly. When I persisted with my demands, he abused me and argued with me," a senior police officer said, quoting Kaushal.

Kaushal thought if he made an example of Chaudhary, his stocks in the underworld would soar further, as would his extortion rates. He needed money to sustain himself in Dubai and eventually take refuge in Zambia. Chaudhary was shot in his car on June 28 after days of extensive recce by Kaushal's gang members. Kaushal's hand behind the murder was widely reported in the media; the message Kaushal desired did go out but efforts to bring him back redoubled as well.

Police said over the last eight months, Kaushal had extorted money from jewellers, liquor traders and eatery owners in Gurugram,, Faridabad and Palwal and was expanding his network towards Rohtak. He targeted those he knew were tax evaders, so many of his victims chose to quietly pay up. "People who have illegal money cannot come forward with a complaint as it will be difficult for them to explain their source of money," said a police officer.

The terror of Kaushal gang can be gauged from the fact that in just this year itself there have been four murders that have occurred in Gurugram.

Just as in the case of Vikas Chaudhary the victims were gunned down in the busy streets.