GUJRANWALA, Jan 17: Compunction or qualms of conscience are the expressions that figure nowhere in the crime-world language as has been revealed through interrogation of Nannu Goraya of Gujranwala, a hardened criminal who has been captured in Malaysia by Interpol three days ago.

The International Police also arrested Goraya’s wife and handed over the couple to the law enforcers in Gujranwala – the region where Goraya entered the crime world and instilled fear among the people, the affluent class in particular.

Officials interrogating Goraya shared with Dawn some ‘startling information’ revealing his links with the ‘big gun’ and his modus operandi. Quoting the criminal, interrogators said industrialists, landlords and traders had paid him millions of rupees in ransom and extortion at his “one telephone call” as they knew that denial meant death.

They said the gangster revealed that he would commit the most heinous crime with felicity for he knew he had the backing of influential people, including policemen and parliamentarians. “I have no idea how many people I have killed or kidnapped for ransom. No qualms of conscience either,” the police quoted Goraya, who called him “King of all desperados in Punjab”, as having said.

The felon, they said, escaped to Dubai in 2006 and continued his extortion job through his network. But later he escaped to a far-flung area of Malaysia which he considered a safe refuge. He also confessed squandering millions of rupees on debauchery (consuming liquor and engaging in sexual pursuits) in Dubai and Malaysia.

What made him escape action many times was support by some police officials “who would inform me before any raid at my place or hideout”.

Goraya’s wife Abida, while speaking to interrogators, broke into tears as she didn’t endorse her husband’s criminal acts and claimed that he (Goraya) forced her father and other members of the family to marry her with him. He threatened that he would kill her five brothers if she refused to marry him. Her family, according to her, resides in Baghbanupra. “Once my brother Khalid was arrested by police in a quarrel case and was confined to the district jail, where Goraya met him. When Goraya was set at liberty, he came to meet my brother at our house and sought my hand for solemnisation of Nikkah. I was a seventh-class student at that time.

“When my father and brothers turned down his proposal, he threatened them (the family) with dire consequences. Although my parents were left without option, they committed a blunder by allowing my Nikkah with Goraya in Rawalpindi.”

She said Goraya kept her at Kotla Arab Ali village in Gujrat for one year, where she gave birth to a son. Goraya went to Dubai and later called her (and the infant) there. She said they stayed in Dubai and Muscat before finally proceeding to Malaysia.

Abida told the police that her husband’s accomplice Zaheer proved his right-hand man in extorting money from industrialists and traders, either through kidnap or other means of exploitation. She further revealed that the accused had got opened a bank account in her name in Malaysia, but he never took her along with him to draw money or for any transaction. She said her passport was in Goraya’s custody, expressing satisfaction over his arrest.

Nannu Goraya, originally named Faiz Rasool, was a resident of Bhoparan Kalan village of Nowshera Virkan. He stepped into the crime world 15 years ago when his brother Mithu Goraya quarreled with Zahid Goraya, the brother of Gulbaz alias Bilo Goraya, but the village elders mediated them. Nannu however killed Zahid after some time and escaped. The police declared him an absconder, but later held him and a court awarded him death sentence. He was in jail when his rival Gulbaz (Bilo Goraya) killed his brother Mithu and father to exact revenge of the brother’s murder. In keeping with the age-old tradition, some villagers again intervened and brokered a patch-up. Nannu took an oath in jail that he would not revenge the killing of his dear ones in case of mediation between the two parties.

Having recorded a statement in jail (pledging to go by his word), Nannu Goraya was released from the jail. It was later in the local elections of 2001 that Bilo’s brother Haji Akhtar contested and was elected Bhopran Kalan union council nazim. He was in Lahore along with his family in 2003 when Nannu killed him with the help of his accomplices, breaching his oath. The police and court declared him proclaimed absconder as he escaped.

Some time later, he killed the third brother of Bilo Goraya outside the Central Jail and in 2003, organised a gang which started extorting money from the moneyed. He also stayed at Gujrat’s Kotla Arab Ali village for some time and by and by expanded his network known for extortion and killings.

When he fled to Dubai, his two men Naeem Butt and Zaheer Ahmad continued the ‘mission’ from abroad and once they quarrelled over the distribution of share. It was this scenario that made gangsters part; Nannu went to Malaysia while Naeem Butt returned home (Gujranwala), where he was killed in an ‘encounter’ with the police.

There was no looking back for Goraya who made distance meaningless and bagged millions of rupees by staying in Malaysia through his network. According to officials, he amassed Rs200 million through his partners in crime until Chief Minster Shahbaz Sharif ordered crackdown on the criminals, appointing Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema as regional police officer for Gujranwala.

The police, assisted by intelligence agencies like the Federal Investigation Agency, captured the most wanted man with the help of Interpol. They arrested a number of people on the clues given by the arrested man.

Meanwhile, CIA SP Ali Mohsin pointed out that many police officials, former parliamentarian and other influential people have been taken into custody and raids are being conducted to arrest more of those who have been identified by Nannu Goraya.

The SP quoted the felon as revealing during interrogation that a former MPA asked him to kill his rival (also a parliamentarian), but he could not carry out the plan. Goraya, the SP said, also claimed a well-placed man in the judiciary to be his supporter.

In Dubai, the judge stayed with Goraya and assured him that he should not be worried about his cases pending with courts, the SP told Dawn.

DIG Zulfiqar Cheema has warned that all accomplices of Goraya, irrespective of their status, would be arrested and dealt with an iron fist.