Gangster Akash Yadav arrested after chase from Shimla

Chasing a wanted man from his hideout in Shimla, the Gurugram police finally arrested 26-year-old gangster Akash Yadav, alias Ashu, on Sunday night from the Dwarka Expressway

Chasing a wanted man from his hideout in Shimla, the Gurugram police finally arrested 26-year-old gangster Akash Yadav, alias Ashu, on Sunday night from the Dwarka Expressway. Teams have been on his trail over the last week to arrest him in connection with an attack on a household in Bhamrauli village on November 15, 2020.

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The police had announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information on Yadav’s whereabouts. He is involved in several murders — most notably that of a classmate in a private school in 2007 when he was a juvenile — besides cases of attempt to murder, extortion, snatching, kidnapping, loot, carjacking and robbery, said officials.

The police said he had been living at a friend’s residence in Shimla since November 20 last year. He was spotted on the Mall Road last week, following which the police swung into action.

Preet Pal Sangwan, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that teams were sent to Shimla last week. “We had identified the house and had surrounded him on Sunday. Being a tourist place, police teams did not use any weapon and asked him to surrender, but he escaped from another route and fled in his SUV to Delhi. Teams chased him and arrested him, along with his close aide, from village Garhi Harsaru on Dwarka Expressway late Sunday,” he said.

Five close aides of Yadav were arrested from different locations in Gururgam last Friday, said police.

Yadav is a resident of Bhamrauli village in Sector 10 and on November 15, 2020, he had allegedly attacked three members of a family over a parking issue and fired a countrymade gun during the attack, the police said. He was accompanied by over 30 goons, his younger brother, father and mother during the incident and they had fired around 30 rounds, the police said. His family members were arrested last December.

Sangwan said the firing incident in the village was recorded by a local on his mobile phone and was also picked up by four CCTV cameras in the vicinity. “Yadav was holding a pistol and he, along with other men, his brother, father and mother, shot around 30 rounds, of which three hit two of the victims, who were discharged after a week from the hospital,” he said.

Manoj Yadav (21) suffered a bullet injury, while Shamsher Singh, a former sarpanch, and his family members Sanesh Yadav, Parveen Yadav, and Sumit had suffered head injuries.

On November 18, around 100 villagers had met the police commissioner, seeking Yadav’s immediate arrest, expressing a fear for their lives. Upon the villagers’ request, the police had provided security to the victims’ family over fears of another attack.

The police said that Yadav also runs an illegal water business in developing sectors. After spending three years in a juvenile observation home when he was a minor, for the murder of a classmate, Yadav is out on bail and maintains a gang of more than 200 members, said police.

KK Rao, the commissioner of police, said that residents of nearby villagers have been complaining against his notorious activities. “His gang members live in his house and they often misbehave with the villagers, threaten them and extort money from them. He is involved in illegal arms business and often provides weapons to other gang members. He is already out on bail in a few cases and was acquitted for the murder of his friend in March 2015 in Palam Vihar,” he said.

Yadav was produced before the court on Tuesday and was taken on a two-day police remand.