Trigger-happy gangs strike fear in Delhi

After seven back-to-back murders on Capital's streets, alarmed cops make a list of top gangsters and launch a crackdown.

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Trigger-happy gangs strike fear in Delhi
Cops fear the Capital may return to the bloody days of the 1980s, when a spate of revenge killings rocked parts of south-west Delhi.

TUESDAY EVENING: TikTok sensation Mohit Mor is shot dead by three men in a Najafgarh shop. Delhi Police don't immediately rule out a gangwar angle.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Below the Dwarka Metro station, assailants tail a car, intercept it and fire a dozen rounds to kill a gangster, who was out on bail. One shooter is gunned down by the police.

SUNDAY EVENING: Gangsters chase and lynch a cop for trying to film illegal liquor trade in Vivek Vihar.

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FRIDAY EVENING: Shooters chase a man in a residential society in Rohini and fire 14 rounds to kill him, reportedly to avenge a gangster's killing.

Hardened criminals - either out on bail or absconding - are running amok on the busy streets of Delhi, fearlessly bumping off their targets in full public view.

While gunshot booms have shattered the peace in immediate neighbourhoods, viral clips of these Bollywood-style killings have left a much larger population in the city in fear.

"Gangsters have suddenly got a free run. People are scared. Cops have failed completely. Delhi never had it so bad in recent years," said Manjeet Vashisht, 35, a businessman in Najafgarh.

"I never heard about such gangwars in Delhi before. I am scared of stepping out My children have stopped going to the park you never know when one would open fire," said 34-year-old Poonam Mishra, a housewife who lives in Janakpuri East.

NO FEAR OF LAW

"Criminals do not fear the police as they know they will, sooner or later, get out of jail. Even if someone is arrested, he is released on bail within a year. This boosts the confidence of criminals," said Prashant Verma, an advocate, who deals with criminal cases at the Delhi High Court.

"In most of these cases, criminals jump bail and never appear before the court as they again join the criminal ranks," he added.

RETURN OF THE 1980s?

About seven cases involving the Capital's own Mafiosi have been reported in recent weeks. The spiral has sent cops into a tizzy. Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has reportedly instructed cops to furnish details about gangsters in their respecti ve jurisdictions for a crackdown.

Cops fear the Capital may return to the bloody days of the 1980s, when a spate of revenge killings rocked parts of south-west Delhi, particularly in villages such as Najafgarh, Mitraon and Dichaon Kalan.

"The list must include whether these gangsters are in jail or out on bail. It should also detail their numbers, crimes, new alliances, rivals and disputes. The report will be analysed by the Commissioner himself," said a senior police official who did not want to be named.

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The Crime Branch and the Special Cell are coordinating with the local police to keep a close watch on the activities of top 10 dreaded gangsters in Delhi, sources said.

The Delhi Police are keeping a tight vigil on the gangs of Neeraj Bawana, Sandeep Chitania, Vikas Langrapuria and Chennu Pehlwan, sources said.

"Soon, the notorious criminals and bad characters will be behind bars. The trend of criminals getting away after being caught has to change to maintain the fear of law," said Rajiv Ranjan, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch).

BACK TO BASICS

Delhi's top gangsters are trying everything to evade police surveillance.

In a recent crime analysis meeting, cops informed the Commissioner that gangsters are using snail-mail, handdelivered notes and digital apps to avoid being caught.

"In many cases, they were found not using mobile phones for months. Some are active on social networking sites hiding behind fake profiles," said an officer.

Since SIM cards remain inactive, it becomes difficult to trace locations, the police said, adding, that these gangs are using encrypted messages and other ways to communicate.

"The use of technology is limited. It's done only when it's essential. They make only WhatsApp calls as they cannot be traced," added the officer.

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"We are again falling back on human intelligence as criminals have become smarter and find ways to fool cops monitoring their activities," said a police officer who keeps a close watch on notorious gangsters and their networks.

STATE vs CENTRE

The Capital's law and order under the Delhi Police - which reports to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs - has often been a bone of contention between the AAP government and the Centre. Both sides blame each other for law and order breakdown.

CM Kejriwal has sought the department's control with a promise of improving the state of affairs.

A day after the Sub-Inspector was beaten to death, Kejriwal said.

"Extremely shocking murder of Delhi Police sub-inspector. Who takes responsibility for safety of Delhiites when even police is not safe."

THE TOP 10 CITY GANGS

> Jitender Gogi gang is the most feared. Classified as a eGrade-A bad character,f Gogi has a Rs 4 lakh reward on his head.

> Notorious activities of Mahesh Thekedar elevated his gang from the seventh position to the second. Thekedar who died in Feb but his gang is still active.

> Sandeep, alias Dheelu, who escaped from police custody in February last year, is ranked third on the list. Police suspect he is hiding in Nepal and running his gang from there.

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> Gangster Sanjay Lakra, who featured for the first time on list in 2018, is now the fourth. He has been absconding for 12 years. Police believe he started running the Dariyapur gang after Sonu Dariyapur was arrested in 2017. Lakra carries a reward of Rs 2 lakh.

> Sameer Chhotu, who was not even on the list last year, now ranks fifth. He is wanted for murder, extortion, snatching and robbery.

> Samunder Hatri alias Surrender, Paramjit Dala alias Manu Jhakoda, Rajesh alias Mogli, Vijay Pahalwan and Ashok Pradhan also feature on the list.