Delhi Police slaps MCOCA on Nandu gang; ex-AAP MLA among 9 booked

The Delhi Police has invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against nine members of the Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu gang, including AAP leader Naresh Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan’s brother, an official said on Wednesday.

The crackdown follows a rise in ransom calls and extortion attempts allegedly made by the Nandu syndicate in Dwarka, West and Outer Delhi, police said.

The gang, led by proclaimed offender Kapil Sangwan, is accused of running a network involved in murders, extortion, armed assaults, and firing incidents across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, they said.

“Shooters, facilitators and conspirators have been arrested, and extortion money as well as illegal firearms have been seized. Investigation is underway to identify and attach proceeds of crime under MCOCA,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Surender Kumar said.

The nine arrested members include alleged shooters and financiers.

The accused include Naresh Balyan, who is a former MLA from Uttam Nagar. “He is actively facilitating the extortion activities and providing the targets i.e, local builders of the area to Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu and later on the way of settlement, he earned his share,” Kumar added.

His role was later revealed from disclosure made by the co-accused and a voice clip surfaced over social media of the conversation between him and Kapil Sangwan, the Joint CP said, adding that he was involved in four criminal cases including extortion cases.

Sangwan’s brother Jyoti Prakash alias Baba catalysed Kapil to indulge in the crime world after the death of their brother in law Sunil alias Doctor, he said. He is the main recruiter of the shooters for the gang from the jail. He was involved in 24 criminal cases including murder, extortion and arms act cases.

Others include Ritik alias Peter, Rohit Sharma alias Anna, Sachin Chhikara, Vijay Gahlot, Sahil alias Poli, Vikas Gahlot, and Amardeep Lochab. Their roles ranged from executing targeted killings and firing incidents to collecting extortion money, arranging arms, and managing hawala transactions, the police said.

According to the police, the syndicate, which evolved from revenge killings in 2015, grew into a structured network executing contract killings and extortion rackets by 2021-24. Sangwan, declared a proclaimed offender, is currently believed to be hiding in the UK, with a Red Corner Notice issued against him.

Among the incidents linked to the gang are multiple murder cases, extortion demands running into crores, and firing at establishments including builders’ offices, schools, and shops. In April 2023, members of the gang allegedly killed a rival, Surender Solanki, in Uttam Nagar, while in 2024 they were involved in a triple murder in Panchkula, Haryana.

The police said the syndicate generated huge assets through extortion, land dispute settlements and coercion, with proceeds funnelled into maintaining shooters and safe houses. Several of these properties are under scrutiny and will be attached under MCOCA provisions.