Wanted Bihar gangster, convicted in murder case, arrested in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) A 27-year-old wanted criminal, convicted in a brutal murder case of a trader in Bihar after he refused to pay extortion money and sentenced to life imprisonment, was arrested in Delhi, police said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Vijay Kumar Mahto alias Vijay Mehto, a native of Bihar's Sitamarhi, had been absconding since a warrant for his committal to prison was issued in September this year, they said.

He was previously convicted by a Sitamarhi court in 2021 for the cold-blooded killing of a local trader, they added.

Police records show that Mahto has been involved in several violent and organised crimes across Sitamarhi and adjoining districts. He is a notorious gangster with a record of 14 criminal cases, including those of murder, attempt to murder, robbery and violations of the Arms Act.

He is alleged to have led a local extortion network targeting traders, transporters and businessmen by issuing death threats and collecting protection money.

"On the intervening night of October 23 and 24, acting on specific intelligence, police nabbed Vijay Mahto from Delhi. Technical surveillance and inputs from informers led to his location being pinpointed," a senior police officer said.

The police said Mahto was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Court of District and Additional Sessions Judge, Sitamarhi. In that case, Mahto had allegedly demanded extortion money from a medical shop owner, Anil Mahato, in Sitamarhi.

When the trader refused, Mahto and his associates visited his shop on March 19, 2020, and shot him dead in public view. Four bullets were fired at the victim, killing him instantly and injuring one of his assistants, the police said.

After the murder, Mahto fled Sitamarhi and began operating between Delhi and Bihar, using multiple hideouts to evade arrest. A warrant of commitment was issued on September 3 for his imprisonment but it could not be executed as he absconded before being lodged in jail, the police added.

He also faces cases under the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016.

Mahto had become increasingly desperate in recent months and was planning to regroup with his associates to revive his extortion racket in Delhi-NCR when he was apprehended, the police said.

Further investigation is underway to trace his associates and verify his network in the National Capital Region (NCR), the police added. PTI SSJ AKSS KSS