3 Bawana-Bhau gang members land in police net after shootout

The Delhi Police arrested three members of the Neeraj Bawana and Himanshu Bhau gang following an encounter in the Rohini area, police officials said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Atul, alias Monty, alias Jacky, Rohit and Prince. The police recovered illegal firearms, including a semi-automatic pistol, two country-made pistols and five live cartridges, from their possession.

Acting on a tip-off that the gang members were on their way to Bawana, armed with illegal weapons and planning an attack, the police intercepted them in Deep Vihar, Rohini.

When the police signalled them to stop, the accused attempted to flee but lost control of their motorcycle and fell.

“One of them opened fire at the police which hit a cop’s bulletproof jacket. In self-defense, our officers fired back, injuring one of the criminals in the leg,” an official said.

During the operation, another gang member aimed a weapon at the police, but was quickly overpowered before he could fire. The third suspect was also subdued after falling from the motorcycle, it added.

During interrogation, Atul, alias Monty, a resident of Sonipat, Haryana, confessed to his long-standing association with the Neeraj Bawania gang.

“Atul, alias Monty, has been involved in at least seven cases, including murder, extortion and arms-related crimes across Delhi and Haryana. He even made extortion calls to a local politician while in jail,” stated a senior police official.

Rohit, another accused, was formerly in the Indian Army before he took to crime. “He was arrested in multiple robbery and murder cases and was recently released from Tihar Jail,” the police official added.

While Prince, the youngest of the three, had dropped out of school and was recruited into the gang six months ago. “He was eager to gain notoriety and readily participated in the gang’s violent activities,” said the police.