Man wanted in murder case killed in encounter

A murder suspect linked to a doctor's killing in Delhi was shot dead by police during a raid. Bhim Mahabahadur Jora led a gang targeting affluent homes.

A 39-year-old man wanted in the sensational murder of a doctor in Delhi’s Jangpura earlier this year was shot dead in a midnight encounter by a joint team of Gurugram and Delhi Police near the Lotus Temple early on Tuesday, officials said.

The accused, Bhim Mahabahadur Jora.

The accused, identified as Bhim Mahabahadur Jora, was the alleged mastermind of a gang that infiltrated affluent homes by posing as domestic helps, gained the trust of employers, and later drugged or attacked residents before fleeing with valuables.

Jora had been on the run since May 10, 2024, when he and his associates allegedly strangled Dr. Yogesh Chandra Paul, a 63-year-old physician, during a robbery at his residence in Jangpura, south Delhi. The Delhi Police had announced a ₹50,000 reward for his capture.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Hemant Tiwari said the encounter took place around 12:30am inside the Astha Kunj Park, close to the Lotus Temple. “The accused fired multiple rounds when a joint team of Delhi Police special staff and Gurugram crime branch tried to intercept him. Two officers -- inspector Narendra Sharma and sub-inspector Shubham Chaudhary -- were hit but saved by their bulletproof jackets,” Tiwari said.

“In retaliation, Chaudhary fired two shots, one hitting Jora in the chest,” said an officer. “He was immediately taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre but was declared dead on arrival.”

Police recovered a pistol, a live round and 11 empty cartridges from the site.

According to ACP (crime) Lalit Dalal of Gurugram Police, a joint operation was launched after specific intelligence suggested that Jora was hiding near Astha Kunj and planning another burglary. “The Gurugram crime branch, led by inspector Narendra Sharma, had been tracking him for months. When we received inputs of his movement in Delhi, we alerted their special staff and moved in,” Dalal said.

Investigators said Jora’s gang was responsible for a string of high-profile burglaries across Delhi and Gurugram. Just days before the encounter, on September 26, he and his associate Yuvraj Thapa allegedly looted jewellery and valuables worth ₹20 lakh from the home of a BJP leader in Gurugram’s Orchid Petals Society.

Thapa was arrested within eight hours at Anand Vihar ISBT, attempting to flee to Nepal. “He revealed that Jora had helped him get placed in the house through a hiring agency. Their chat records confirmed Jora’s role and helped us trace him near Astha Kunj,” said an investigator.

Police said Jora’s gang exploited unregulated placement agencies that recruited domestic workers without verification. “Once inside the house, they would mix sedatives in food or water before looting the family. In Dr Paul’s case, they killed him when he resisted,” an officer said.

CCTV footage from May showed Dr Paul entering his house around 1:35pm, followed minutes later by three people -- his domestic help Basanti, and two men, Akash Kumar and Himanshu Joshi. Around 3.30pm, the trio was seen leaving with bags later found to contain jewellery and cash.

Police arrested the three within days. Their interrogation revealed an eight-member gang led by Jora. Another CCTV clip later showed Jora and his wife carrying the stolen bags, confirming his role as the mastermind. The couple fled to Nepal soon after.

Police records show that Jora had built a criminal career spanning multiple states since 2014, operating under different aliases. He was earlier arrested for burglaries in Surat (2014), Bengaluru (2020), and Ghaziabad (2022). “His name surfaced in at least six confirmed cases, but we suspect his involvement in many more,” ACP Dalal said. “He would divide the loot among his associates, cross into Nepal, and return later with a new identity.”

One of his earlier crimes, in July 2022, involved sedating a family in Gurugram’s Civil Lines area and escaping with ₹3.5 lakh.

DCP Tiwari said the gang’s method exploited the informal domestic help sector. “Citing affiliation with Nepalese citizens working in metropolitan cities and by fooling placement agents, he got his gang members employed in well off families, which they targetted,” he said.

Officers said the trap that ended in Tuesday’s encounter was laid after tracking his phone activity and financial trail. “He was aware that Thapa had been arrested and was likely trying to shift base or plan another hit before leaving India again,” an officer said.