The assassination of singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala has once again brought to light a web of gangsters from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, who are known to collaborate in their quest for regional dominance. Last month, Delhi Police apprehended Md Shahrukh, a 28-year-old man who confessed to them that he was planning to kill Moosewala.
Shahrukh is accused of being engaged in ten murders, attempted murders, and extortion cases, and he used to work for the Shakti Naidu gang in South Delhi until its commander was slain in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police. Shahrukh was eventually apprehended and joined the Hashim Baba gang while incarcerated. During the pandemic, he was freed on parole.
“During Covid, Hashim also ended up in jail, and through mobster Jitender Gogi, he became good friends with infamous convicted gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Hashim and Shahrukh joined Bishnoi’s team, and Shahrukh was tasked with eliminating Moosewala. He spent two to three months undertaking reconnaissance, but because of Moosewala’s extensive security protection, he was unable to carry out his plan. “The Delhi Police Special Cell provided this information with the Punjab Police after Shahrukh’s arrest,” a top police officer stated.
The arrest is ineffective as a deterrence.
Many Delhi-based gangsters have been arrested in the previous five years, according to a senior police officer: “In their absence, gangsters from Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan have attempted to operate in the city, frequently making partnerships with Delhi criminals who have sought to operate in the capital.”
Many, according to senior officials, operate out of distant areas like Dubai, Thailand, and Canada, remotely commanding their gangs. “Virender Pratap alias Kala Rana, Bishnoi’s partner, was operating from Thailand; Satenderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar was operating from Canada, and Gaurav Patiala alias Lucky was operating from Armenia,” an officer stated. Brar claimed responsibility for Moosewala’s death in a social media post.
While Bishnoi’s gang is the most well-known, it has faced fierce competition from a rival gang led by Davinder Bambiha, who ran an extortion ring in Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula before being slain in a police encounter in 2016. Dilpreet and Sukhpreet alias Budha, his assistants, has been leading the group from within jail since then.
According to investigators, alliances began to emerge as both gangs attempted to expand their spheres of influence.
Kala Jathedi (Haryana), Subbe Gujjar (Gurgaon), Anand Pal Singh (Rajasthan), Jitender Gogi (Outer Delhi), and Hashim Baba (Outer Delhi) were among the gangsters that allied with Bishnoi (Northeast Delhi). According to authorities, Sampat Nehra, a Rajasthan native who was involved in student politics there, joined Bishnoi’s crime organisation and was essential in creating the alliance between Bishnoi and Kala Jathedi in prison.
“On the other hand, Bambiha had formed alliances with Gurgaon’s Kaushal Chaudhary, Delhi’s Neeraj Bawana, and Outer Delhi’s Sunil alias Tillu Tajpuriya,” the officer stated.
According to authorities, both groups have been involved in high-profile crimes. The Bambiha gang and their supporters, for example, orchestrated the recent Rohini courthouse gunfight in which mobster Jitender Gogi was slain.
