Delhi Police solved the murder case of cable operator Devender Rathi by arresting 35-year-old notorious criminal Ajay Dabas, an inter-state gangster carrying a cash reward of Rs 1,50,000 on his head, in South-East Delhi’s Okhla. Dabas was arrested on Wednesday by the Delhi Police.
“On January 29, 2016, Ajay with his associates had murdered his business partner Devender Rathi in the Outer Delhi’s Begumpur area. The reason behind the murder was Devender’s failure in giving a share in the profit and taking over of the cable business. He also made an attempt on the life of Manjeet, the brother-in-law of Rathi, who survived the attack”, said Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South-East District.
A secret information received by police led to his arrest. Police were informed of his presence with an illegal weapon near the Okhla Sabzi Mandi where he was to meet his associate. At around 11.30 pm, Ajay on his Hero Honda Motorcycle came from lajpat Nagar side and stopped near Mandi. Police party rounded him and asked him to capitulate, on this he whipped out a pistol but was overpowered and finally apprehended, the DCP said.
This was not the first time that the desperate criminal was active. In 1997, while studying in Class X, he started committing robberies at the age of 15. Three FIRs were lodged for three theft cases and accordingly the convict was arrested in the scooter robbery case of Sultanpuri and was subsequently sent to jail. In the prison he met Devender, Ajaybir and other members of a gang led by Anil Bhagte, who was an extortionist and murderer. In 2002, another case was registered against him for drugging police party and taking control while Anil Bhagte was being escorted by Haryana Police for production in Delhi Court to rescue him from custody near Kundli, Haryana, Baaniya said.
In 2006, after committing many crimes and earning money, he entered the cable business in Begumpur and was later joined by Devender Rathi as his business partner. An attempt on Ajay’s life was made in the same year by a business rival. The possession of an illegal weapon led to his arrest in the year 2009 by the Special Cell of Delhi Police.
Ajaybir had a personal rivalry in Bahadurgarh as a consequence of his brother’s murder by the rivals. Dabas along with Ajaybir and other associates went to Bahadurgarh to settle scores of Ajaybir rivalry and executed four murders in a single day. This was the time of his release via a bail in the year 2009. 2 cases of murder were registered against him. Ajay and Ajaybir as a result were edicted capital punishment, which was later permuted to life sentence by the Haryana and Chandigarh High Court.
An FIR for jumping parole was registered in 2015 when he was released to attend his brother’s wedding. He also robbed a Hyundai Verna car in the Begumpur area along with his associates in 2016.
Presently, Ajay was on a lookout for Manjeet. He was not using any mobile phone and was not in touch with his family members to invade the arrest. Police were on a lookout for him for all three cases of 2016. One sophisticated pistol with five live cartridges were recovered after the seizure.