Gaya, Dec. 3: A gangster, allegedly linked with the Mumbai underworld and the Maoists, has been arrested from Barun police station area in Aurangabad district.

Gaya police nabbed Chhotu Khan, alias Shamim Khan, alias Munna Khan, alias Babu Khan, alias Bose, who is wanted in over cases of loot, murder, bank heist, extortion and illegal possession of arms and explosives by in Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and other states.

Gaya senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vinay Kumar told reporters today that Chhotu, hailing from Ajzalpur village under Sherghati police station in Gaya, was arrested from a place under Barun police station in Aurangabad district in the small hours of Friday. “Police also found a revolver loaded with a .38 bore cartridge, a country-made pistol, three cartridges and two bombs from his possession. Chhotu was a terror for the business fraternity,” the SSP added.

He had escaped from jail twice — first from Sherghati sub-divisional jail in 2005 and the second time from a jail in Asansol (Bengal) in 2008.

Chhotu was working as a member of Magadh area committee of the CPI(Maoist). Police retrieved several telephone and cellphone numbers of Mumbai from his possession, which indicate that Chhotu had close links with the underworld there. The police did not rule his involvement with the Chhota Shakeel gang.

The SSP said Chhotu was named in the 2006 murder of Kanhaiya Gupta, the owner of a Hero Honda agency at Sherghati, and the killing of a youth, Tauhid, in front of the Gaya SP’s residence eight years ago.

He was also wanted in connection with the murder of a mukhiya’s son at Chaugain Bazaar in Bankebazaar police station area in October.

Chhotu was accused of at least 10 bank loot cases. He is also accused of looting firearms from a guard of Bank of India under Gurua police station Gaya and firing at the police team being led by Gaya city superintendent of police.