A day after gang war broke out in Delhi which claimed lives of two gangsters in national Capital, the massive manhunt launched by  Delhi Police Crime Branch, has yielded results after the sleuths arrested a 28-year-old fugitive gangster cum contract killer working for notorious “Randip Bhati” gang. Identified as Sunil Bhati alias Ropy was wanted by Uttar Pradesh Police too and they have declared a reward of Rs 25 thousand on information leading to his arrest.

With the rise in gangster activities in the national Capital, Delhi Police have launched its operations to nab all gangsters in and around national Capital. The sleuths of Crime Branch and Special Cell of Delhi Police have also started to hunt these gangsters in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana that provide safe havens for these gangsters.

 “These gangsters have their gang members in other States that help them in arranging weapons, money, house, mobile phones with new SIM cards and vehicle to evade police inaction. Police have also started tracing these people who provide aide to the gangsters,” said sources.

Many a times, criminals escape to their hideouts in the neighouring States to avoid police dragnet, sources added.

Sunil Bhati, a resident of Dadri, GTB Nagar in Uttar Pradesh is wanted for his involvement in several cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and arms act registered in Uttar Pradesh. According to Dr G Ram Gopal Naik, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime Branch, in January this year, Dharmendra alias Dharmi, who himself had several criminal cases registered against him at the Badalpur Police Station, was shot dead by the members of the Randeep Bhati gang.

“Specific inputs were received regarding Ropy who is also the prime accused in Dharmendra killing. Acting on the tip-off a trap was laid and the accused was arrested from DTC Depot in Delhi’s Madhu Vihar, when he had came there to meet his associate to commit some crime. Police have also recovered one loaded semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore alongwith six live cartridges recovered from the possession of the accused. Subsequently, a case under section 25/27 Arms Act was registered at Crime Branch police station,” said the DCP.

“During interrogation, the accused disclosed that the killing incident occurred on January 4, 2019, when one Vivek Singh got engaged in an argument with Dharmendra over giving way on the road in Dadri town. Gangster Randeep Bhati, who was lodged in Basti jail made phone calls to Dharmi over the phone on the day of the incident,” said the DCP.

“While Dharmendra, who had about a dozen cases lodged against him including a murder earlier, had links with Randeep Bhati gang. He had distanced himself from the latter for quite some time,” said the DCP adding that further investigation is going on.