''Kranti gang'' leader Bharti, 3 associates shot dead Delhi

Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 9 

One of Delhi’s most wanted gangsters, Rajesh Bharti, the leader of ‘Kranti gang’, was killed in a shootout with Special Cell officers in Delhi’s Chhatarpur area on Saturday. Three of his gang members — Sanjeev Vidrohi, Umesh alias Don and Veeresh Rana — were killed too. Another  member, Kapil, was said to be in a critical condition. 

PS Kushwaha, DCP, Delhi Police Special Cell, said a team intercepted Bharti and his men at Fatehpur Beri. Asked to surrender, they opened fire. More than 100 rounds of gunfire were exchanged. Eight police officers were injured, of whom  Head Constable Girdhar, Constable Gurdeep and Sub-Inspectors Krishan Kumar, Raj Singh and Bijender sustained bullet injuries.

The Special Cell sleuths had been keeping an eye on a farmhouse in Chhatarpur.

The police found five semi-automatic pistols in the Ford Endeavour in which Bharti and his aides were travelling. The owner of the vehicle is one Sangeet. The police are looking for him. An i20 car at the site  was believed to have been abandoned by the other gang members, who managed to flee. As many as 40 number plates were found in its boot. 

Bharti, on the ‘top 10 wanted criminals’ list, had escaped from the custody of Haryana Police in February. He carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh and was an accused in at least 25 cases of robbery, murder, extortion and carjack.