Gang-run illegal market razed as police clear encroached land in Gurugram

Police said two jailed brothers extorted monthly rent from squatters for years, with over 50 shops demolished during a heavily secured drive.

At least one acre of government land in Sector 66, allegedly captured and rented out to squatters by two criminals, was cleared of permanent and temporary structures during a demolition and anti-encroachment drive carried out by police and the district administration amid heavy security deployment on Monday, officials said.

Officials estimate ₹2–5 crore in illegal rent was collected over five years; no arrests were made as all squatters were evicted. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Police officials said the land, belonging to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), had been encroached upon nearly five years ago, and more than 50 commercial establishments had come up in the form of an unauthorised market complex.

The nexus was allegedly operated by Narender Singh, alias Tillu, and his brother Ravi Singh, both residents of Ravidas Colony in Badshahpur, who were running the operation while lodged inside Bhondsi district jail, police said.

A senior police official said the duo collected at least ₹5 to ₹6 lakh every month as rent from squatters, which was allegedly used to sustain their criminal activities. “Narender was operating the Tillu gang, from which the Badshahpur people used to remain terrified. Using the terror, the duo captured empty government lands for running unauthorised market complexes,” the officer said.

He added that the brothers charged between ₹200 and ₹500 per shop daily depending on size and nature, which also acted as protection money.An official estimate suggests the duo may have collected anywhere between ₹2 crore and ₹5 crore in illegal rent over the past five years.

A police official privy to the matter said the MCG had written to the district administration and police seeking assistance and force deployment, following which the demolition drive was carried out amid heavy security.

A senior MCG official said earlier attempts by the enforcement wing to clear the encroachment had failed due to aggressive protests. “Finally, help was sought from police and administration,” he said. No arrests were made during the drive, as all squatters were removed from the site and every permanent and temporary structure was demolished, he added.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said Ravi had five criminal cases of murder, attempted murder, rioting, assault and liquor smuggling registered at Badshahpur police station since 2018.

“The gang leader Narender has 12 criminal cases of murder, attempted murder, armed dacoity, assault, theft, illegal firearms, liquor smuggling and gambling registered at Badshahpur police station and another criminal case of illegal firearms at Kherki Daula police station registered between February 2012 and September this year,” Turan said.

Turan said both were currently behind bars, and police had moved court to seek production warrants to prepare their history sheet. “The duo’s name is already included in the bad-character element list of the Badshahpur police station, and they are high-risk criminal elements of the city,” he said, adding that efforts were underway to dismantle the gang and choke all illegal revenue sources.