New Delhi: Delhi Police's Crime Branch carried out a major operation late on Wednesday night, arresting two shooters linked to the notorious Himanshu Bhau gang following an encounter in the Shahbad Dairy area. Police say the duo were allegedly preparing to carry out a major crime, and two illegal pistols were recovered from their possession.
According to police, the Rohini Crime Branch received a tip-off that the two accused were headed towards the area. A police team then laid a trap near Sector-29, Rohini. When the pair arrived on a scooter, officers attempted to intercept them. Police allege that instead of stopping, the men opened fire on the team. Officers returned fire, and following a brief exchange, both suspects were overpowered and taken into custody.
Plot allegedly hatched on aides' instructions
Preliminary investigation has revealed that one of the arrested men is an active shooter for the Himanshu Bhau gang, while the other is his associate. Two illegal weapons were seized from them. Police are now working to establish which crime they were planning to commit and which other gang members they were in contact with.
Investigators have also found that both accused have links to the high-profile Joginder Dabas murder case. Police believe the conspiracy behind that killing was hatched on the instructions of Vicky Hadal and Dacoit Kulasia, close aides of gang leader Himanshu Bhau. Both men are now being questioned in detail to gather information on the wider network.
Gang members stayed in touch via apps
Police suspect that gang members kept in contact with one another through social media and internet calling apps, receiving instructions for their operations through these channels. Their possible involvement in recent firing incidents and extortion cases is also being probed.
The Himanshu Bhau gang is counted among the major criminal syndicates operating across Delhi-NCR and Haryana, with members facing allegations of murder, extortion, firing and several other serious offences. Police say the gang's leader operates from abroad, directing his associates to carry out crimes on his behalf.
Both accused are currently being interrogated, with police hopeful the operation will help them trace further gang members and uncover any future plots.