Gangster Hashim Baba aide held in MCOCA case after months on the run

Delhi Police arrested gangster Shabir Ali, linked to MCOCA, for managing operations and finances of Hashim Baba's syndicate involved in multiple crimes.

The Delhi Police’s special cell on Friday said it has arrested alleged gangster Shabir Ali alias Shabir Chaudhary, 49, who was wanted in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case registered against the jailed gangster Hashim Baba and his syndicate.

Police said Chaudhary, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, had been evading arrest since the Special Cell booked members of the syndicate under the MCOCA in April last year. (Representative photo)

Police said Chaudhary, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, had been evading arrest since the Special Cell booked members of the syndicate under the MCOCA in April last year. He is believed to be a trusted aide of Baba and is accused of handling the gang’s operations in the trans-Yamuna region after the arrest of alleged gangster Hashim Baba in November 2020, said investigators associated with the case.

Deputy commissioner of police (Special Cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi said a team of the New Delhi Range arrested Chaudhary near the Shambhu border in Haryana on June 14 following intelligence inputs and technical surveillance. Police said a Mahindra XUV700 and a scooter were recovered from his possession.

According to police, Chaudhary is involved in at least 14 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder and extortion. They alleged that he was responsible for managing the syndicate’s finances, logistics and recruitment of shooters.

The MCOCA case also names several other alleged members of the syndicate, including Hashim Baba, his wife Zoya Khan, Bab’s aide Anwar Khan alias Chacha and Salim Ahmed. Police said nine accused in the case have already been arrested.

Officials said Chaudhary began his criminal activities in the mid-1990s and was initially associated with gangster Haji Afzaal of northeast Delhi. Police alleged that after his brother was murdered in 2008, he became more active in organised crime and later developed links with Hashim Baba while in jail.

Police alleged that the syndicate was involved in several high-profile killings in Delhi between July and December last year, including the fatal shooting of Afghan-origin businessman Nadir Shah outside a gym in Greater Kailash and two other murder cases at GTB Hospital and in Farsh Bazar. Investigators alleged that the latter two incidents resulted in the deaths of two people who were not the intended targets. Police said Chaudhary and Anwar Khan alias Chacha played key roles in planning and coordinating the gang’s activities during this period. The allegations are under investigation.

Investigators claimed that Chaudhary handled money laundering, logistics, and shooter recruitment for the Hashim Baba gang.

Police added that Chaudhary had unsuccessfully contested the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election from Khatauli.