Delhi Police thwart gang war, arrest man for plotting revenge on 2022 murder accused

The Delhi Police’s Special Staff team in South district thwarted an imminent gang war, arresting a criminal, Rohit, alias Mata, officials said on Monday.

The police action was based on intelligence and surveillance, preventing a retaliation planned following the recent release of Manish, alias Nata, a prime accused in a 2022 murder case.

An official said the Special Staff team averted what could have been a violent confrontation between rival criminal factions. Manish was granted bail on August 23, raising concerns about a possible revenge attack by the associates of the deceased.

“Intelligence sources indicated that members of the rival gang were planning to strike soon after Manish’s release,” the official added.

Rohit was armed with a country-made pistol and live ammunition and was apprehended before he could carry out a planned attack.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, South district, Ankit Chauhan, said, “Manish was recently released out on bail and had been involved in the murder of Kapil Panwar in 2022, which led to concerns of possible revenge attacks from Kapil’s associates.”

Meanwhile, Rohit, a ‘Bad Character’ of Neb Sarai police station, was tasked with eliminating Manish as part of this ongoing gang rivalry. The Special Staff, under the leadership of Inspector Girish Chandra and ACP Rajesh Kumar, was already monitoring criminal gangs active in the district.

“Our team was briefed to identify criminals carrying illegal firearms and prevent possible violent incidents. We intensified patrolling and utilised local informers to gather intelligence,” a senior police official said.

Based on technical surveillance and manual information, police received a tip-off about Rohit’s movements on the night of September 15.

During sustained interrogation, Rohit told police that Panwar was murdered by Manish and his associates. “He said that all accused were jailed out and this led to one of his accomplices, a close friend of Panwar, to take revenge,” the DCP said. The accomplice then handed Rohit a pistol who was tasked to track Manish, he added.

“Therefore, he started roaming at night to track Manish for revenge. He was on his way back when he was apprehended with the firearm,” he said.

The accused, Rohit, 24, had a criminal history, including involvement in five previous cases of theft, burglary and arms offenses.

“His accomplice, also a BC of Neb Sarai, had been providing financial support and coordinating with him regarding the attack, as revealed during interrogation,” the official said.

Cops were already alerted

Manish, who had been the prime accused in the murder of Kapil Panwar, was granted bail on August 23. The team was already alerted about the possible revenge attack by associates of the deceased. Panwar was Rohit’s close associate. — Ankit Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south)