Police injure 3 gang members in back-to-back encounters
Gunfire shattered the winter silence across parts of the Capital early Thursday as Delhi Police carried out back-to-back encounters with gang members. Three alleged shooters were injured, and several weapons were seized after the police action. The most dramatic exchange unfolded at Ghazipur Paper Market, where Crime Branch teams cornered two men linked to the Hashim Baba gang, wanted in a brutal double murder in northeast Delhi, Zafrabad.
Around dawn, police laid a trap in the cluttered lanes of the paper market. They had received specific intelligence about the suspects’ movements. As officers closed in, the men opened fire. A brief but intense shootout followed. Both accused were hit in the legs and overpowered. Two Crime Branch personnel also came under fire. They escaped serious injury as their bulletproof jackets absorbed the impact. “This was a carefully planned operation based on sustained surveillance,” said DCP (Crime Branch) Vikram Singh. “The accused fired indiscriminately when challenged. Our team retaliated in self-defence and apprehended both men without loss of life.”
The arrested men were identified as Asad Amin (22), the alleged main shooter, and Mohd Danish (34), the suspected conspirator and arms supplier. Police said both are residents of Zafrabad. Amin has a history of multiple criminal cases. Danish, a law graduate, is believed to have played a key logistical role for the gang.
The encounter is linked to a sensational double murder that shook Zafrabad on December 16 last year. Two brothers, Nadeem and Fazeel, were shot dead after assailants waited nearly half an hour before opening fire. Forensic teams later recovered around 50 spent cartridges, pointing to a planned execution.
Investigators traced the killing to a rivalry over illegal arms dealing, with the Hashim Baba gang emerging as the prime suspect.
Police said Danish had been absconding since August, after his name surfaced during questioning in an arms trafficking case. Investigators believe the murders were carried out as retaliation after Nadeem allegedly disclosed Danish’s role to the police.
From the Ghazipur site, officers recovered a significant cache of weapons: Three pistols of different calibres, live ammunition, spent cartridges, and a scooter allegedly used in the Zafrabad murders.
“The recovery underlines the level of firepower these gangs are moving with,” a senior officer said.
Just hours earlier, another encounter played out near the Munak canal close to the Sonipat border. Special Cell teams intercepted Ankit, a shooter linked to the Rajesh Bawana gang, after receiving inputs that he was planning a fresh killing. When surrounded, Ankit allegedly fired four rounds while trying to flee. Police returned fire, injuring him in the leg. He was arrested with a pistol and cartridges.
Police sources said Ankit is a close associate of the Bawana gang and was attempting to escape towards Haryana. He, too, has been hospitalised and is under guard.
Together, the two encounters mark a sharp escalation in the Delhi Police’s crackdown on organised crime networks at the start of the year. Over recent months, gangs have been linked to extortion, targeted killings and open gun violence, often in crowded neighbourhoods.
Officials stated that CCTV footage and technical surveillance played a crucial role in tracking the suspects’ movements. “We are focusing on dismantling the entire ecosystem, shooters, suppliers and financiers,” DCP Singh said. All injured accused have been admitted to Government hospitals and are reported to be stable. Separate FIRs have been registered, and further investigations are underway to identify other gang members and arms routes. For residents near Ghazipur, the morning brought fear and relief in equal measure, fear at the sound of bullets, and relief that two wanted men were finally off the streets.
