Delhi Police arrests member of Kala Jathedi-Raju Basodi gang in encounter

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) The Delhi police on Sunday arrested a member of the Kala Jathedi-Raju Basodi gang wanted in several cases, following a brief exchange of fire, officials said.

The arrested accused Vicky (29), a resident of Haryana's Rohtak, was wanted for an alleged murder in Rajasthan, among other heinous cases, the police said.

A tip-off was received that Vicky would go to Dwarka via Chhawla Road and a trap was laid, Special Commissioner of Police (crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said.

Information was also received that Vicky could be carrying firearms and the police team was prepared accordingly, Yadav said.

The team intercepted Vicky when they spotted him coming from Chhawla road. However, the accused tried to flee and his motorbike slipped away, the Special CP said.

On being asked to surrender, the accused fired four rounds at the police. The cops fired in retaliation and overpowered him, he added.

During interrogation, Vicky disclosed that he was released on bail in 2018 in a murder case in Sonipat, Haryana, and started working as a financier, Yadav said.

"In 2022, he joined the Anil Chippi-Kala Jathedi-Raju Basodi gang and was tasked with providing logistics and shooters for extortion activities in the national capital, working on a contract basis," he added.

According to the Special CP, Vicky had hired two shooters, Kartik and Pardeep, to extort money from property dealers. Following his instructions Kartik and Pardeep opened fire on a property dealer in the Om Vihar area of Uttam Nagar here on November 7, 2023. They also dropped a handwritten letter at the victim's office on the direction of Dinesh Karala.

"The letter demanded a sum of Rs 2 crore from the property dealer, threatening violence if the demand was not met. The shooters fired rounds in the air while escaping, causing fear and panic in the area," Yadav said.

Kartik and Pardeep were previously arrested by the Crime Branch with two pistols and two cartridges. They were provided these weapons by Vicky, he said.

In November 2023, Vicky was hired by a lawyer to eliminate a rival, the Special CP said.

"On the lawyer's instructions, he allegedly committed a murder during a wedding function in Rajasthan, resulting in injuries to an Army personnel and an Uttar Pradesh Police personnel from gun shots," he added. PTI BM RPA