Delhi encounter: With first murder at 19, Pathak was ‘living his dream’, say cops

Ranjan Pathak was killed in an encounter on Thursday along with gang members Bimlesh Mahto, Aman Thakur, and Manish Pathak

At the age of 19, Ranjan Pathak, the leader of Sigma & Company, allegedly killed a man for revenge —his first murder, according to investigators.

Four members of Sigma & Company gang were shot dead by a joint team of Delhi and Bihar police in Rohini Sector 32 on Thursday. (SANCHIT KHANNA/HT PHOTO)

Early on Thursday, Pathak, who is 25 now — along with gang members Bimlesh Mahto alias Bimlesh Sahni (25), Aman Thakur (21), and Manish Pathak (33) — were allegedly shot dead by a joint team of Delhi Police and Bihar Police in Rohini Sector-32. They were suspects in several cases, including murders and illegal liquor smuggling.

Investigators say Pathak was born in 2000 into an ordinary family residing in Bihar’s Sursand. His father, Manoj Pathak, was a former employee in the Bihar’s revenue department who is active in village politics. His mother, Vimla Devi, who is originally from Nepal, is currently a sarpanch in Malahi village. Pathak has five sisters and a brother.

An officer, who worked closely with the investigation into this gang, said, “From the beginning, he showed no interest in studies and failed the matriculation examination. Influenced by the criminal world, Pathak wanted to enter the world of crime.”

His gateway into the world began in 2019, when he, along with three of his friends, shot dead a man by the name of Abhay Singh because he objected to his relationship with his cousin sister.

“He was subsequently arrested [in Bihar]. He spent five years in jail and was released in 2024,” the officer quoted above further said.

He was barely out of jail when, in July last year, he was arrested again—this time for carrying illegal arms. But was released in a few months. By November, he had been arrested again in another case under the Arms Act, but he was released again — this time in a few weeks.

After coming out of jail, an investigator said, Pathak met a man identified as Kapoor Jha, a contractor who is at large, and the two formed Sigma & Company in mid-2025. “The reason they named it Sigma & Company is because they used the Sigma app for encrypted communication. The gang used to create virtual numbers and use them for WhatsApp messages,” the first officer quoted above said.

Subsequently, Mahto, Thakur and Manish Pathak joined the gang. The gang is believed to have 12 members and operated from Bihar. Three of its members Rahul Jha, Loha Singh, and Deepak Thakur were arrested earlier this month in connection with a murder.

Quickly after its formation, the gang jumped into a number of illegal ventures. With the goal of making easy money, Pathak allegedly started smuggling liquor from Nepal because of its proximity to India. He allegedly used Sigma for coordination to ensure that they were “never caught”, said the second officer.

The second officer said that Pathak was also inspired by a local gang, headed by criminal Vikas Jha alias Kalia — an infamous contract killer who has over 24 murders to his name. “He wanted to be Kalia and he wanted dominance in the area which is why he and his associates started contract killings,” the officer said, adding that they had only been active for the last four months.

According to investigators, the group had patronage from local village heads and, in the murder of a local man, Aditya Thakur, reported on July 18, Pathak’s father, Manoj, was also arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy.

“Their motive was to establish themselves. That’s the reason they used to send audio clips and notes to local media owning the murder,” the officer said.