The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested 34-year-old Babu Wasim, who had allegedly supplied a weapon to one of the accused, Shahrukh Khan alias Pathan in the northeast Delhi riots, over two years ago. Police said the accused has also supplied around 250 illicit weapons to criminals in Delhi and its peripheral areas.
In February 2020, a video of Shahrukh pointing a pistol at an on-duty policeman during the riots in Jafrabad, had gone viral.
Police said that Wasim, a resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh (UP), has admitted to having supplied the pistol seen in the video to Shahrukh before the riots in Delhi. Wasim had absconded after the video went viral in order to escape arrest in that case.
According to Jasmeet Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell, on April 7, specific inputs were received about the arrival of Wasim in the Tahirpur area of the national Capital between 6 PM to 7 PM to meet one of his contacts. “Acting on the specific inputs, a raiding party was formed and a trap was laid near Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty hospital in Tahirpur. At about 6.15 PM, Wasim was spotted coming from Gagan Cinema side and going towards the hospital,” said the DCP.
“Wasim was surrounded by the police team and nabbed. During a cursory search, the police team recovered one semi-automatic pistol of .32 calibre along with five live cartridges from his possession. A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at the Special Cell police station,” said the DCP.
“During interrogation, Wasim admitted to having supplied firearms and ammunition to various gangsters and dreaded criminals in western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and its peripherals in last 10 years.
He has admitted to having supplied pistol to Shahrukh prior to Delhi riots,” saidDCP. “Wasim has also confessed to having supplied firearms and ammunition to the members of the notorious Irfan alias Chhainu Pehlwan gang which has a fierce rivalry with the Nasir gang in the Trans-Yamuna area in Delhi,” said the DCP. “Wasim was previously involved in seven criminal cases, including contract killings, shoot outs resulting in murder, attempt to murder, assault on police, causing hurt, arms smuggling etc in Delhi and UP,” said the DCP.
“In one case registered at Geeta Colony police station, Wasim with his associates had executed a sensational contract killing by shooting one Veenu Pandit at behest of business partners of the deceased for a consideration of Rs 17 lakh in 2016,” said the DCP.
“Further interrogation of Babu Wasim is on to ascertain his linkages in arms trafficking and his relations with gangsters and hardened criminals in Delhi-NCR. His role in supplying firearms to rioteers in Delhi in 2020 is being probed,” the DCP added.