Three people have been arrested for posting messages on Facebook in which they allegedly said the killing of Punjab's most-wanted gangster Vicky Gounder would be avenged, police said on Wednesday. The Punjab police on January 26 had eliminated Gounder and his aide Prema Lahoria.

The police arrested Gurpreet Singh Gopi, Karajpal Singh and Gurjit Singh for posting the message on Facebook, DIG, Ludhiana Range, G S Sandhu said today. Gopi is resident of Jagraon while Karajpal Singh and Gurjit Singh are residents of Zira. They were arrested from Galib Kalan in Ludhiana, Sandhu said. They had allegedly posted the "threatening" messages on the social media site following the killing of Gounder and Lahoria by the Punjab Police. They had threatened to avenge the deaths, he said Six weapons, including a pistol and a revolver, 32 live cartridges and heroin were seized from them, SSP (Rural), Ludhiana, Surjit Singh said.

Gopi used to handle social media for hardcore criminals and gangsters, the SSP claimed, adding that he had also links with several gangsters, including Neeta Deol who was lodged in the Nabha Jail. Karajpal was a relative of Lahoria, Surjit said. Besides handling social media, the accused also used to supply weapons, drugs and provide financial help to dreaded criminals, the SSP said.

The officer said that a case under relevant sections of the IPC and IT, NDPS and Arms acts has been registered against them. The Punjab Police is making efforts that the youth not get misled or allured by these types of social media posts, sympathising with gangsters and dreaded criminals, the DIG said.