Gurgaon gangs on back foot as law catches up after Gadoli era

The bitter turf war following the alleged encounter killing of gangster Sandeep Gadoli on February 7, 2016, in Mumbai has shaken Gurgaon’s underworld and none of the gangs have been able to establish there stranglehold in the city.

The bitter turf war following the alleged encounter killing of gangster Sandeep Gadoli on February 7, 2016, in Mumbai has shaken Gurgaon’s underworld and none of the gangs has been able to establish their stranglehold in the city.

The hotel in Andheri, Mumbi, in which Sandeep Gadoli was killed in an alleged encounter on February 7, 2016. (HT File)

Several notorious gangsters are behind bars while those outside are lying low. Some of them are on the run too.

Sandeep Gadoli of Gadoli Khurd, a dominant Gurgaon gangster, was killed by a team of the Gurgaon police in an alleged encounter while he was staying in a Mumbai hotel.

The Gadoli encounter was a setback for the Gurgaon police as the team of eight personnel was accused of staging the encounter. Five members of the team are in jail after Gadoli’s family approached the Bomaby high court and accused gangster Binder Gujjar of colluding with the police to get Gadoli killed.

While Gadoli’s family fought a legal battle, it also allegedly orchestrated the murder of Manish Gujjar, elder brother of Bindar Gujjar. Men who allegedly have allegiance to the Gadoli group shot Manish on October 21, 2016.

Police booked Sandeep’s brothers Brahm Prakash and Kuldeep Gadoli and sister Sudesh, and gangster Kaushal, brother Manish and his aide Amit Dagar for Manish’s murder. Brahm, Kuldeep and Amit Dagar are in jail, and Kaushal and Sudesh are absconding, police said.

Prior to the murder of Manish, the Gadoli family also allegedly orchestrated the killing of Mahesh alias Attack, a gangster considered close to Bindar Gujjar. He was shot outside his office near Jharsa. Following the attack, police arrested eight members of Kaushal gang, who are now behind bars.

Currently, only Rakesh Hayatpur, who operates in new Gurgaon sectors 81 to 95 is out of jail. He is lying low and focusing on business after he was attacked on MG Road on July 15, 2015 at the behest of Narender alias Bhandi of Garhi Harsaru, who is absconding, police said.

Ashok Rathi from Sohna is operating from prison. Sources said effectiveness and fear of a gang leader declines considerably once he is in jail or becomes an absconder.

Most of these gangsters thrived on extortion bids, real estate deals, settling land deals, and taking protection money from traders. They also financed and operated betting operations in the city. However, with them behind the bars or absconding, Gurgaon police claim they have managed to curb organised crime in the city.

“Our objective is to break the financial network of these gangs as money is the only motive with which they engage in crime. The extortion network is under pressure and being neutralised, and their activities are being closely monitored. We will not let them operate freely,” Sumit Kuhar, DCP, crime, said.

Kuhar, however, said since Gurgaon is close to Najafgarh, which has traditionally been a hotbed of gangs, the ripples are sometime felt in this city too. He said the Delhi-based gangsters trying to extend their influence in the region will be dealt with strictly.