Cops slap MCOCA on 10 Bhau gang members

The Delhi Police have intensified their search for infamous gangster Himanshu Bhau, who is believed to be abroad, and have slapped the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on his 10 gang members, they said on Monday.

Moreover, four members of the Bhau gang were killed in separate encounters so far this year, they added.

“The police are actively working on to locate Himanshu Bhau, who allegedly operates the syndicate from foreign locations. By doing so, the North Delhi Range Crime Branch has effectively dismantled the gang,” Surender Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said in a statement.

Gang leader Bhau and his close aide Sahil have been declared proclaimed offenders. They are currently believed to be residing abroad. They fled India via Portugal on the basis of a fake passport, the cop mentioned.

Moreover, he added that a request for trial in absentia has been moved against them before the court concerned.

Efforts were being made to track and nab other active members of this crime syndicate.

The syndicate has been active since 2020 perpetrating crimes, including extortion, kidnapping, murder, targeting business owners, property dealers and public figures.

Its activities have been marked by violence and intimidation with notable incidents such as firing at car showrooms in Tilak Nagar and Naraina, murder of anti-gang member at a restaurant in Rajouri Garden among others.

The action stems from a firing incident that took place on May 6, 2024, at Fusion Car showroom in Tilak Nagar, where three armed men opened fire inside and outside the premises to spread terror in the name of their leader.

Six people were injured in the attack. The next day, the showroom owner received a ransom call of Rs 5 crore from an international VoIP line.

The caller identified himself as Himanshu Bhau. Following this, the case was handed over to the Crime Branch, and MCOCA provisions were added. Investigators established that the gang had been involved in continuous criminal activities for financial gain.