Jailed gangsters, fugitives form extortion nexus in Delhi-NCR

Police data shows that this year, till September 30, police stations across the city recorded 157 extortion cases

It was a warm night at Subhash Nagar in west Delhi, around 8.25pm, when the buzzing marketplace was silenced by the rat-tat-tat of gunshots as two gun-wielding men opened fire at a restaurant. Around 10 minutes later, the gunmen fired more shots, this time at a garments showroom located around 800 metres away.

The alleged accomplices of Salman Tyagi and Naresh Sethi in custody. (HT Photo)

No one was hurt in the September 19 incident, but business owners of the commercial neighbourhood were left shellshocked, and the Delhi Police swung into action, determined to learn the reason behind the shooting. And three days later, after a detailed and thorough investigation, a crime branch team arrested the two shooters, and alleged they were members of an organised extortion syndicate, run by jailed gangsters Salman Tyagi, Naresh Sethi, and Lawrence Bishnoi.

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“The two incidents on September 19 weren’t random shots fired. The owners of both the restaurant and the showroom had received extortion calls from an unknown international number showing its location in Thailand, and were told to cough up ₹50 lakh each. However, both ignored the threat calls. In fact, the owner of the garment showroom last received a threat call at 8.30pm, around five minutes before the two men fired shots at the signboard of his showroom,” said a crime branch officer instrumental in cracking the case.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjay Bhatia said after their arrest, the two shooters, identified as Deepanshu Monu and Moinuddin Salman, both 21, during interrogation revealed that gangster Salman Tyagi — lodged in Delhi’s Mandoli jail — told them to open fire at the two business establishments.

The shooters were also told to drop slips of paper with extortion demands. The slips had the names of Tyagi, his associate Naresh Sethi, and their key partner, Lawrence Bishnoi, who heads one of the largest crime syndicates in north India.

READ | Desperate for money, man tries to extort Delhi businessman

The Subhash Nagar case was cracked, but police officers involved in the investigation said the disclosures of the two arrested shooters highlighted how the nexus of jailed gangsters, their aides based in foreign countries, and their hitmen at large is instrumental in carrying out extortions in Delhi- NCR and other states such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

Only half the extortion cases are solved

Many officers admit that the lack of confidence that these businessmen have in the police is not without a reason — the Delhi Police track record in solving extortion cases is not very impressive, with investigators managing to crack only around half of the cases reported. In contrast, the police manage to solve heinous crimes such as murder, robbery, dacoity, attempt to murder, kidnapping for ransom and rape was between 92% and 100% of the times, according to the Delhi Police annual statistics of 2021.

READ | Three minors among eight arrested in major extortion bust in Delhi

And if such extortion attempts are committed by seasoned gangsters, some of whom such as Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu and Goldy Brar who are operating from abroad, the percentage of cases solved drops further.

Police data shows that this year, till September 30, police stations across the city recorded 157 extortion cases. Meanwhile, 187 extortion cases were registered in 2022, 170 in 2021, and 120 in 2020.

The data also shows that between January and June, 16 extortion cases were linked to just two crime syndicates — one run by Bishnoi and his Canada-based partner Goldy Brar, and the other by gangster Kapil Sangwan, currently operating from the United Kingdom.

Only three of these cases — all involving the Bishnoi-Brar syndicate —have been cracked, police said.

“None of the nine cases involving the Sangwan gang have been solved,” a senior special cell officer, on condition of anonymity, said.

Reasons for police’s high failure rate

Times are changing, and so are the ways in which gangster extort money from their victims. In the past, only the ringleader or his key aide would make the extortion demand — either through a letter, or through a phone call.

However, special commissioner of police (special cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that the current crop of extortionists is far more organised, and use deceptive methods to run their illegal business.

“The gangsters operating from abroad make calls using international SIM cards or use encrypted calling and messaging mobile applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram to demand extortion money. They impress minor boys with their lifestyle, lure them into their network, and then ask them to fire warning shots at the victims’ property. Even if the shooters are caught, they usually are unaware of the identity of the person who assigned them the hit job, or asked them to collect arms, ammunition or two-wheelers to be used in the offences,” Dhaliwal said.

In many instances, the officer said, an investigation into an extortion case leads investigators to jails in Delhi and its adjoining states, to a gangster operating behind bars, using a mobile phone that he has smuggled into prison.

Giving an example, Dhaliwal said in October 2020, gangster Saddam Gauri, who was lodged in Rohini jail, was arrested with 10 others for allegedly running an extortion racket from inside the prison.

And then there are some upcoming gangsters, who use the name of their more established peers such as Bishnoi or Brar to extort money from businessmen and traders. This muddies the investigation further, the officer said.

The key players

Bishnoi and Brar are notorious for their alleged involvement in the murder of Congress leader and Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, on May 29 last year. They are also known for their threat calls to actor Salman Khan, and Punjabi singer Hardesh Singh, who uses the stage name Yo Yo Honey Singh. According to police, the Bishnoi-Brar syndicate has a tie up with Sangwan’s gang.

Other key syndicates operating in Delhi-NCR include the Gogi gang, Tillu gang, and the Neeraj Bawana gang. Though the ringleaders of the Gogi and Tillu gangs —Jitender Maan alias Gogi and Sunil Baliyan alias Tillu Tajpuriya — were killed by rivals in September 2021 and May 2023, respectively, both gangs have continued their extortion rackets unabated, police said. Bawana, meanwhile, is currently in Tihar jail.

Special cell officers said the Gogi gang is supported by the Bishnoi-Brar syndicate, while the Tillu gang works in coordination with the Bawana gang.

And though several of these outfits have bad blood between them — special cell officers estimate that the enmity between the Gogi and Tillu gangs have claimed nearly 30 lives over a decade — the existing members of these syndicates have called a ceasefire.

“They (the gang leaders) have divided their areas for extortion. For example, the Sangwan group can operate in southwest Delhi, while the Salman Tyagi-Naresh Sethi gang operates in west Delhi. Similarly, the Tillu and Bawana gangs operate only in outer Delhi. As the Lawrence-Brar group is much larger and more powerful, they have a free run across Delhi-NCR, and also operate in states,” the first special cell officer quoted above said.