22-year-old shot dead in northeast Delhi in gang war, say police

The victim, Mohammed Misbah, of Jaffrabad, had seven criminal cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder, and robbery, among others. He had been released from jail in July

NEW DELHI

The victim and his friend were sitting on his scooter and sipping tea around 10.30pm when four men approached them and shot him dead. (Getty Images)

A 22-year-old man was shot dead on the Seelampur main road on Thursday night, police said, citing the murder the fallout of rivalry between the Chhenu and Hashim Baba gangs, which are largely active in northeast Delhi.

The victim, Mohammed Misbah, of Jaffrabad, had seven criminal cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder, and robbery, among others. He had been released from jail in July, after he was arrested in 2024 in a double murder case, police said.

An investigator aware of the matter said that Misbah and his friend were sitting on his scooter and sipping tea around 10.30pm when four men approached them and shot him dead. “The four men who are suspected to be residents of the area. When the shooting started, his friend fled the spot. Misbah was shot in his head and face majorly,” the officer, not wishing to be named, said.

Police said the control room was informed at 10.40pm about a firing near Jama Masjid in Seelampur. The police took the victim to Jag Parvesh Chandra Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Investigators said that Misbah suffered over 15 gunshot wounds and nearly 25 rounds were fired in the incident. They said forensic teams gathered over 20 empty shells from the spot.

Police said a murder case was registered at the Seelampur police station.

A second investigator, requesting anonymity, said that Misbah had recently joined the Hashim Baba gang on a friend’s insistence, and that he was previously associated with the Chhenu gang, a rival. “Investigation revealed that he had a verbal spat on phone with a member of the Chennu gang—who are active in Seelampur—on Thursday. A fight for superiority in the area led to the murder,” the officer said.

Police said Misbah came from a family of doctors. His father Zainulabidin was a doctor (MBBS) and had died away a few years ago and his mother is an Ayurvedic practitioner (BAMS), who runs a clinic in Jaffrabad. One of his brothers is also studying medicine, they said.

Detailing Misbah’s criminal history, police said he was a repeat offender and committed his first murder at the age of 14. “He had killed a tailor with his friend who wanted revenge for the victim. He was sent to a juvenile home for the murder,” the officer said.

After returning, he allegedly started keeping a pistol with him and was apprehended twice, as a minor, on charges of the Arms Act by the Jaffrabad police. When he turned 18, he allegedly robbed a scooter and also fired outside the house of a jail warden, along with a friend, police said.

Last year, Misbah and his associates allegedly killed two men over a petty altercation. He was released from jail on bail in July, after which he associated himself with Baba gang, the investigator said.