Delhi Police raids gangster hideouts across NCR; Neeraj Bawana's father among arrested

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The Delhi Police conducted massive raids at criminal hideouts across the national capital and Haryana in the early hours on Thursday, and arrested three people including the father of jailed gangster Neeraj Bawana.

They also detained 36 habitual offenders.

The raids led to the recovery of cash worth Rs 49.6 lakh, 1.36 kilograms of gold, 14.6 kilograms of silver, a bulletproof Scorpio SUV, a motorcycle, 27 mobile phones, a laptop, seven country-made and sophisticated pistols, a revolver, 40 live cartridges, three bore brushes, two cleaning rods and a button-actuated knife.

The operation was jointly executed by 39 teams of the Outer North district with 500 personnel and 19 teams of Rohini district with 320 personnel. They searched a total of 58 locations in Delhi, Sonipat, Sampla, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Bahadurgarh, police said.

The raids were conducted under the leadership of Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Singh and under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners Hareshwar Swami (Outer North) and Rajeev Ranjan (Rohini).

Police said the crackdown targeted members and associates of gangs led by Kala Jathedi, Jitender alias Gogi, Neeraj Bawana, Rajesh Bawana, Tillu Tajpuriya, Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu and Nettu Dabodha.

Three accused -- Shaktiman (34), Vedpal (55) and Prem Singh Sehrawat (67) --” were arrested from Outer North district, while three others -- Vishal alias Behda alias Ankit, Hari Om alias Ankit and Naveen -- were held in Rohini district.

Of this, Sehrawat is the father of Neeraj Bawana, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

The 35-year-old gangster is involved in over 30 cases of murder and extortion and runs a gang from inside the jail. Bawana, who was one of the most wanted criminals, was arrested in 2015 by the Special Cell. According to police, he had links with Fazal Ur Rehman, a close associate of gangster Dawood, and others who had ties with Canada-based fugitive Arsh Dalla and Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani activist who was killed in Canada in 2023.

Police said FIRs have been registered under the Arms Act in Narela Industrial Area, Bawana and Kanjhawala police stations.

"Mobile phones and electronic devices seized during the raids are being analysed to track links with gangsters operating from abroad. This coordinated action is part of our ongoing efforts to break the backbone of gangsterism in Outer North and Rohini," a senior police officer said. PTI SSJ RUK RUK