Two, including jailed gangster's nephew, held in murder of youth linked to Hashim Baba gang

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Two people, including the nephew of jailed gangster Chenu Pehelwan, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old youth, allegedly associated with the Hashim Baba gang, police said on Saturday.

Misbah was shot dead on Thursday night in the Seelampur area. He had joined the Hashim Baba gang around two years ago after severing ties with the Chenu gang, with which he was previously associated. This led to friction between him and the Chenu gang, an official said.

According to the police, the accused were identified as Abdullah (23), Chenu's nephew and a resident of New Seelampur, and Prince Ghazi (25), a native of Meerut.

While Ghazi was arrested by the Special Cell from the Shastri Park area on Friday night, Abdullah was apprehended earlier by the North East district police.

Investigators said the incident stemmed from internal discord within the Chenu gang. Misbah, Abdullah, and Ghazi had once been close associates but had fallen out a few months ago due to a personal dispute. Misbah's subsequent association with the rival gang allegedly provoked Thursday's attack.

Police received a PCR call about gunfire late Thursday night. A police team rushed to the scene and found Misbah lying in a pool of blood. He was taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants fired over two dozen rounds before fleeing on a motorcycle.

"During interrogation, Abdullah confessed to his involvement in the murder and stated that he carried out the attack to avenge an old enmity," a senior police officer said. A pistol and two cartridges were recovered from his possession, police added.

Police said Abdullah has a criminal record and is previously involved in three cases, including attempted murder, firing, and Arms Act violations.

Misbah also had a history of crime, with seven cases registered against him, including murder, robbery, and Arms Act offences. He had recently been released on bail, officials said.

The shooting occurred near the residence of Hashim Baba, a notorious gangster from the Trans-Yamuna region, who has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019. Baba was once a close associate of gangster Abdul Nasir and was allegedly involved in extortion, contract killings, and illegal betting rackets, police said.

Sources said Baba later came into contact with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, helping Bishnoi expand his influence in Delhi through his local network. Baba is believed to have played a key role in arms trafficking in the National Capital Region and maintained links with local businessmen and residents in northeast Delhi.

Baba's name has surfaced in several high-profile cases, including the 2024 murder of a gym owner in Greater Kailash, in which his wife, Zoya Khan, was arrested. He was also accused of orchestrating a 2016 shootout at Karkardooma Court, targeting rival gangster Chenu Pehelwan.

In 2019, the Delhi Police Crime Branch registered a case against Baba and the Abdul Nasir gang under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Police said further investigation is underway to determine whether the latest murder was planned at the behest of jailed gang members or was part of a larger gang retaliation cycle. PTI SSJ HIG HIG