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NIA raids on gangsters: All you need to know about Delhi’s 5 notorious gangs

Sep 12, 2022 02:29 PM IST

NIA carried out raids were carried out at residences and hideouts of gangsters in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, some of whom are also accused in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala,

NEW DELHI: The raids by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday at the residence and hideouts of gangsters in Delhi and nearby states are being seen as the first step to a strategic crackdown against organised crime in the region. On Monday morning, NIA officers conducted raids at the homes of Delhi gangsters such as Neeraj Bawana and Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya. While gang culture is not a new phenomenon in the city, its numbers and activities have grown rapidly over the last few years.

Police personnel deployed during a raid by National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials in connection with a case related to narco-terrorism by alleged gangsters, at multiple locations in outer Delhi, Monday (PTI)
Police personnel deployed during a raid by National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials in connection with a case related to narco-terrorism by alleged gangsters, at multiple locations in outer Delhi, Monday (PTI)

To be sure, Delhi hasn’t had underworld dons like the ones in Mumbai during the 90s, but Delhi has had gangsters who do not fear the law; kill their rivals, even in prisons or courtrooms; operate from prisons, and have a fan following on social media. Gangs so desperate for revenge, that they even target family members, don’t hesitate to shoot at police teams, honey trap their rivals, or end their rivalry by pulling the trigger on the city streets. Monday’s raids in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana come against the backdrop of the concerns within the security establishment at the gangsters forming alliances outside areas of their immediate influence.

HT takes a look at the top five criminal gangs that are active in Delhi.

Neeraj Bawana

Neeraj Bawana was one of Delhi’s most wanted men till his arrest in 2015. But putting away Neeraj Bawana in isolation inside Delhi’s high-security Tihar jail hasn’t stopped Bawana or his gang. Bawana’s gang continues to carry out crimes such as extortion, robbery, contract killings and land grabbing. Bawana’s gang members also use social media to issue threats or share details of their gang’s activities. Bawana’s name cropped up in the murder of Delhi gangster Jitender Gogi, who was shot dead inside a courtroom in Rohini last year. A police officer said that Bawana and his gang members were known to call traders and demand what they called, Neeraj Tax. The extortion money ranged from 5 lakh to 1 crore. Before his arrest in 2015, Bawana was locked in a bitter turf war with a rival gang, gangster Nitu Dabodia who died in a police encounter in 2013. The two gangs fought for control of the extortion racket in outer Delhi areas such as Alipur, Bawana and Rohini, and the rivalry continued well after Dabodia’s death in 2013 In August 2015 when he was in prison, Bawana ordered the killing of two members of Dabodia gang. The two were killed in a prison van while returning to jail from a court hearing.

Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya

Even while Tillu Tajpuriya was lodged in Delhi’s Mandoli jail, Maan planned and executed the murder of his rival, Jitender Gogi last year. The two men, who were once friends, were engaged in a bloody gang war that lasted over a decade and led to at least two dozen deaths. While jail officers shifted Tillu Tajpuriya to Tihar from the Mandoli jail complex, he continues to operate his gang from inside the jail.

Kala Jathedi

A resident of Jatheri village near Sonipat in Haryana, Kala Jathedi was on the top of the Delhi police’s most wanted list till his arrest in July 2021. Kala Jathedi had tied up with rivals of Bawana and Maan. In March 2021, he executed the escape of jailed gangster Kuldeep Fazza from the GTB hospital, where Fazza was brought for his medical examination. Fazza, however, was killed in an encounter with the police within a week. In May 2021, the Delhi police invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Fazza Jathedi to try to curb his criminal activities.

Also Read: What’s in a name? New gangs of Delhi, notoriety for old villages

According to police records, Jathedi demanded extortion money of 50 lakh to 1 crore from traders and bookies in urban villages of Delhi. In places such as Dwarka and Rohini, Jathedi’s gang members were involved in multiple incidents of firing at traders and leaving behind hand-written notes demanding what he called “protection from Kala Jathedi money.”

Jitender Gogi

Jitender Gogi was shot dead by two men of the Tillu Tajpuriya gang inside the Rohini court complex in September 2021, a fallout of the long and deadly rivalry between him and the Tajpuriya that has continued well after his death. Now led by Rohit Moi and Deepak Pahal, the Gogi and Tajpuriya gangs, who have been involved in bloody shootouts and attacks in Delhi, have continued their rivalry in Delhi’s prisons where the prison administration keeps them in different parts of the complex to avoid fights.

The two gangs, who fight for control of extortion and land grabbing networks in urban villages of Delhi, have been involved in shootouts even in crowded places such as markets and showrooms. Pahal aka Boxer, who now leads the gang from outside, is a former boxer and represented India in the 2011 junior international championship.

Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar

Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar initially started their criminal activities in Punjab but have spread their area of operation to Delhi after teaming up with Delhi gangsters of the Jitender Gogi and Kala Rana gangs. The two were recently named in the murder of Punjab singer Sidhu Moosewala on May 29 in Punjab’s Mansa district. A direct implication of the alliance is that Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs are counted as enemies by the gangs led by Neeraj Bawana, Tillu Tajpuriya and others. Tillu Tajpuriya too has struck an alliance with Punjab and Haryana-based gangs such as those of Davinder Bambiha and Kaushal Chaudhary, the two gangsters who were also raided by NIA on Monday.

Lawrence Bishnoi is in Delhi’s Tihar jail; his associate Goldy Brar runs the gang from Canada, where he is in hiding. Just three days ago, the Delhi police arrested three men from the Bishnoi-Brar gang, who was in Delhi on Brar’s instructions to eliminate a rival

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Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!

Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.
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