Patiala (Punjab), Jan 18 (IANS) A boxing champion, who was earlier also a trooper with a para-military force, has been nabbed by Punjab Police along with an inter-state gang of criminals. Police have recovered six weapons from the gang.

Jaspinder Singh, an international level boxer who had worked as a trooper with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) earlier, was among those arrested along with four other members of the gang.

Superintendent of Police Prithpal Singh said that six weapons, including prohibited 9-mm pistols, ammunition, cars and fake documents, including fake voter I-cards, were recovered from the possession of the gang.

The gang has been nabbed just days ahead of the Jan 30 assembly election in Punjab.

Police officials here said that Jaspinder had won several gold medals at various national events in the past. These included the All-India Police Games and Haryana state games (both in 2006-07) where he won two gold medals each. He had earlier won five gold medals at the All India Inter-University championships.

“He joined the CRPF in 2005 and was attached with the 28th Battalion. He fell in bad company of criminals and left the CRPF in 2008. The gang used to hire taxis and then push out the drivers of these vehicles. They used to sell the stolen cars in other states,” a police official said here.

Members of the gang belonged to Fatehabad district in neighbouring Haryana.