Four wanted Bihar criminals killed in encounter in Rohini

NEW DELHI: A shootout has taken place at Rohini between four wanted criminals in multiple murder cases in Bihar and a joint team of Delhi Police Crime Branch and Bihar Police. The injured criminals were immediately shifted to Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital in Rohini, where doctors declared them dead early in the morning, police stated. The gangsters have been identified as Ranjan Pathak, Bimlesh Mahto, Manish Pathak, and Aman Thakurall residents of Bihar and wanted in several heinous crimes, including multiple murders and extortion. Preliminary information suggests that Ranjan Pathak was the gangs kingpin, operating an organised criminal network across parts of Bihar and adjoining states. The accused were carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on their arrest. Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Sanjeev Yadav said that input was received from the Bihar Police regarding the movement of the criminals in Delhi. A joint team of the Delhi Police Crime Branch and the Bihar Police was constituted. The criminals were wanted in several cases involving murder, armed assault, and illegal possession of weapons. Based on surveillance and technical inputs, the accused were tracked moving towards Bahadur Shah Marg, Rohini, the DCP said. Around 2:20 am, police intercepted a white car carrying the four accused persons on Bahadur Shah Marg, near Pancholi Park, Rohini. On being signalled to stop, the occupants of the vehicle opened heavy fire at the police team. Police also retaliated in self-defence, leading to a brief exchange of fire, during which all four accused were injured. Pathak was wanted in eight cases, Thakur was previously involved in four cases, Mahto was previously involved in four cases, and Pathak was involved in two cases. Sources said that the four accused were planning to carry out a big criminal activity ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Ranjan Pathak and Sigma Gang had carried out murders in Bihar, including killing of the district head of Brahmashri Sena Ganesh Sharma, Madan Sharma, and Aditya Singh. The gang reportedly sent pamphlets and called journalists, claiming their actions were a protest against the wrong policy of the bureaucracy, police misconduct, and the destruction of the lives of the poor and weak. They claimed their fight was not against any caste, community, or religion, and that they respected the law. In one of the cases of Gada police station, Pathak, Aman Thakur, Vimlesh Mehta, and other associates demanded extortion money of Rs 45 lakh and also threatened to kill the complainant/target of this case. In the case of Chorhat police station, Pathak, along with Vimlesh Mehta, Aman Thakur, and other associates, took contract money and killed CSP operator Shravan Yadav by entering in his shop and firing six bullets at him. Pathak, along with his associates Aman Thakur and Suraj Pathak, murdered the ex-president of Brahmarishi Sena, Ganesh Sharma, by firing three bullets at him.