A gangster was arrested after a Delhi Police officer lured him through a fake social media profile posing as a Mumbai-based model, an official said on Friday.

The accused, Manoj, a life convict and repeat parole-jumper, promised to meet the officer in South Delhi, from where he was arrested.

“Manoj, a member of the Gogi gang and a close associate of Deepak, was wanted in multiple cases across Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, including murder, kidnapping and armed robbery,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)(Crime) Aditya Gautam said in a statement.

Deepak is a key conspirator in the murder of rival gangster Tillu Tajpuria inside Tihar Jail.

The officer further said knowing that Manoj was active on social media, a specialised team of the crime branch devised a digital operation.

“Head constables Dinesh and Sukhbir created a fake social media profile, posing as a glamorous Mumbai-based actress. Over several weeks of chatting, they gained Manoj’s trust. Eventually, they convinced him to meet in the Safdarjung Enclave area of South Delhi,” said the DCP.

When Manoj arrived, a waiting police team apprehended him. A search of his belongings led to the recovery of two weapons and eight live cartridges. He was immediately taken into custody.

 The police said Manoj, originally from Mahendergarh in Haryana, moved to Delhi’s Nangloi area with his family in the 1990s. His criminal journey began in 2005 when he, along with his friend Chamanlal, kidnapped and murdered a businessman named Rahul over a ransom dispute. Convicted in 2013, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

While in Tihar Jail, Manoj came into contact with key members of the Gogi gang, including Vicky Ramzanpur.

He became deeply involved in the gang’s activities, coordinating crimes from behind bars. He also established close ties with Deepak, the key conspirator in the murder of rival gangster Tillu Tajpuria.

In 2014, Manoj was granted a one-month parole but he did not return, choosing instead to rejoin the Gogi gang.

 Over the years, he engaged in many crimes, including murder in Shahbad Dairy, armed carjackings in Narela, Begumpur and Alipur, and extortion operations in Bawana and other areas.

Arrested again in 2015, he spent years behind bars but continued orchestrating crimes. In June 2023, he was granted a three-week parole, during which he escaped once again.

Following this, he committed a series of violent robberies in Rajasthan before being apprehended. Despite being jailed in Bilada, Rajasthan, he deceived authorities about his criminal background and secured release in December 2024.