Ahmedabad: The first case under Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GujCTOC or GCTOC) Act has been lodged against jailed notorious gangster Vishal Goswami and his gang members by the crime branch of Ahmedabad police.

Police today said that the case has been lodged under section 3 of the GujCTOC Act, sections 188, 387, 507, 120 (B) of the IPC and sections 42, 43, 45 (12) of the prison act.

Goswami and two of his gang members Ajay alias Ashutosh Goswami and Rinku alias Raj Goswami, who are all lodged in Sabarmati jail under charges of murder, loot, attempts to murder, extortion etc, were with the help of other gang members living in the city, involved in threatening businessmen and demanding money. The gang was also threatening the witnesses in cases against them. Vishal and his jailed aides used mobile phones from inside the jail premises for the crime.
There were in all 51 cases of serious nature against the gang in Gujarat and states like Rajasthan, MP and UP.
The gang with help of a crime syndicate used to do organized crime. DCP Dipen Bhadran had prepared a report regarding sanction to file case against them under the section 3 of the GujCTOC Act. The case has been lodged after getting sanction from the commissioner of Police office.

Four of the gang members identified as Vijendra Goswami, Anurag Goswami, Suraj Goswami and Jay Goswami have also been arrested and a pistol, 50 live cartridges, 20 mobile phones, a motorcycle and a car have also been recovered from them.
Police said that two smart phones and a feature mobile phone has also been recovered from Vishal and the two of his aides inside the jail. detailed investigation was on.

Notably, GujCTOC was implemented in the state since December 1 last year.

The act was implemented to put a check on the terror elements and also give more teeth to police against other organized crimes like contract killing and kidnappings for ransom and ponzi schemes. It would also help in better check of cross border narco terror. According to the provisions of the act more expert legal officers and public prosecutors would be appointed who could prosecute the culprits in special courts under the act.

President Ramnath Kovind had given his assent to the GujCTOC bill last year which was earlier rejected and returned by three of his predecessors.

This bill drafted on the lines of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, was first passed by the Gujarat assembly in 2003 when Narendra Modi was CM of the state.

The bill was earlier rejected and returned for reconsideration by the then Presidents Pranab Mukherjee in 2016, Pratibha Patil in 2008 and 2009 and APJ Abdul Kalam in 2004. The bill was updated and sent to the president’s office again for approval.