Meerut, March 6 (IANS): A court in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district has awarded three years' imprisonment to gangster Udham Singh Karnawal. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1000 on him.

Karnawal is presently lodged in Unnao jail and has more than 70 cases of loot, murder, extortion and kidnapping against him. Besides, he has been also booked under the Gangster Act and NSA in different police stations of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Shamli, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Lucknow.

He was sentenced in a case in which a pistol of 7.65 mm and cartridges were recovered from his possession.

Karnawal is among the 68 identified criminals in the state and police presented a strong chargesheet and lawyers effectively pleaded to ensure that he would get the due punishment in the case.

In its ongoing special drive against mafias, gangsters and their supporters, police have so far ensured punishment to 22 identified mafias and their 42 gang members and supporters while pursuing 51 cases in different courts across the state. Out of these, two were given capital punishment while others received either life imprisonment or rigorous imprisonment and were also slapped with fines.

The identified mafia and gangsters who have been punished by courts, include Mukhtar Ansari, Vijay Mishra, Atiq Ahmad (dead), Yogesh Bhadauria, Udham Singh Karnawal, Muneer, Saleem, Rustam, Sohrab, Happu, Akash Jat, Singhraj Jat, Sunderland Bhati, Dhruv Kumar, Amit Kasana, Aijaz, Anil Dujana, Yakoob Qureshi, Bachchu Yadav, Randeep Bhati and Dharmendra Kirthal.