Violent student politics to full-time crime: Chronicles of Delhi’s gangs

NEW DELHI: Politically aware college students in the 2000s; the men behind organised crime in Delhi and Punjab; an international connection; and gang wars -- these seemingly unconnected strands came together in the killing of Sidhu Moosewala on May 29.

The story starts in 2008, when Lawrence Bishnoi, son of a former Haryana police constable, a budding athlete, was preparing for the 1,500m race in the state open athletic championships. Bishnoi, who studied at the DAV school, Chandigarh, was a law student at Panjab University, but his dream was to represent the state in athletics. Not surprisingly, he was a regular at the ground, as was Sampat Nehra, a Khalsa College student.

The two became close friends -and it is a friendship that lasted all these years -- and their names are etched together in Panjab University documents, police case files, even jail records. The Delhi and Punjab police say Sampat Nehra is gangster Bishnoi’s deputy.

But all that was long in the future in 2008 when only sport was on Bishnoi’s mind. It isn’t clear why Bishnoi and Nehra quit sports but police records show both were sucked into university politics the same year. Sometime that year, Bishnoi was jailed when he assaulted a rival candidate during elections to the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU). Bishnoi was a member of the Students of Panjab University (SOPU).

“Maybe he (Bishnoi) left sports and studies during those 2-3 months in jail. He returned to the university in late 2008 but was a different person. After returning he took full command of the SOPU. Campus fights became common, as did his jail visits. But they were petty cases,” a police officer said, citing Bishnoi’s statement made in November 2021 to the Delhi police.

In 2010, Bishnoi himself decided to contest. Campaigning for him were Nehra and another university student Goldy Brar. Police describe Brar as a Canada based gangster, who runs the Bishnoi gang from abroad.

All three men are now suspects in Moosewala’s murder.

“When Bishnoi lost that election, he along with Brar and Nehra, broke the legs of the winning candidate. That was their first crime together. Bishnoi formed his own gang in 2010. A year later, Bishnoi won the election. After that the three men continued to wield control over colleges in Punjab by fielding their candidates. There were many fights across colleges,” said a Delhi Police document dated November 2021.

But one fight was significant. At a government college in Muktsar Sahib, Punjab, during the elections, Bishnoi fielded his candidate. Opposing the candidate was Avtaar (identified by his first name in police report) of PUSU. One evening Bishnoi, Brar and four others shot Avtaar dead. This was Bishnoi and Brar’s first murder.

The year was 2013. Bishnoi was 21.

The same year, 400km away, in Delhi’s Shraddhanand College, two other young men were making the news.

Jitender Gogi, a year older than Bishnoi, was the local volleyball star of Alipur, a semi-urban settlement in Delhi. Gogi had won medals in his school days at the local Bakhtwarpur government school. But sometime in 2008, around the same time when Bishnoi was lured into university politics, Gogi injured his hand in a road accident. He could never play volleyball again. Gogi has told police officers he was selected for the national games but the police have never found any evidence of this. But his sports career cut short, Gogi turned to crime.

By the time he graduated from school, Gogi was hanging out with local criminals at a shop in Alipur. Between 2008 and 2012, Gogi was arrested at least thrice for petty fights and assault. But it wasn’t until 2013, when he crossed paths with his childhood friend Sunil Maan alias Tillu, at Shraddhanand College, that things would take a turn for the worse.

“If Bishnoi met boys who would become his friends for life, even commit crimes together, Gogi’s lifelong rivalry with Tillu started in college. The two ended up supporting different candidates for the college elections. Gogi was arrested for attacking Tillu’s friend that year. Over the years, the two would form their own gangs and compete to control Delhi’s crime network,” said a second police officer who asked not to be named.

And it would kick-start a rivalry that would shed blood across the national capital.

And much like Bishnoi met his closest aide in college, Gogi met his, Kuldeep Fajja at the Delhi University College. The two, in later years would become Delhi’s top gangsters. Police describe Fajja, who died in a police shooting last year, as Gogi’s second-in-command.

At least two dozen people, all gangsters have died on account of the decade-long rivalry between Tillu and Gogi. Gogi himself was killed by Tillu’s gang in a daring shooting inside a court room in Rohini last year.

So, how is Punjab connected to all this?

The Delhi Police’s investigations have revealed that both Tillu and Gogi sought help from gangsters in Punjab and Haryana as they battled each other.

Last Sunday, within hours of Punjab Police’s announcement that Bishnoi and Goldy Brar were the main suspects in singer

Moosewala’s killing, a message on the unverified Instagram account of gangster Tillu read – We will take revenge against Bishnoi and Goldy. Rest in Peace Sidhu Moosewala.

But why was a jailed Delhi gangster threatening to avenge Moosewala’s murder? And how did Bishnoi get involved in Delhi’s crime scene?

Delhi Police believe the genesis of all this was the void in Delhi’s crime world sometime between 2014 and 2015.

Before 2013, Delhi was controlled by two gangs – those of Neeraj Bawana and Nitu Dabodia -- that fought bloody turf wars on the capital’s streets. Dabodia died in a police encounter in 2013; Bawana was arrested in 2015.

By 2015, Bishnoi was a big man in Punjab. He had a rival too – the Bambiha gang led by Davinder Bambiha. If Bishnoi gang had people such as Goldy Brar working from outside (Canada), the Bambiha gang had Lucky Patyal (settled in Armenia). The two fought pitched battles across Punjab, especially for control of the liquor and real estate business.

And both wanted more.

“In Delhi, even as Gogi and Tillu rose to fill the vacuum, Bishnoi sensed an opportunity,” said a third police officer.

According to a police report, sometime in 2016, Bishnoi contacted Delhi gangster Sandeep Kala alias Jathedi as a first step to entering Delhi. Jathedi was a close confidante of Gogi at the time. Bishnoi spoke to Jathedi on a conference call connected from inside Ajmer jail by a jail official known to Jathedi. Jathedi was then in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

“Initially Bishnoi and Jathedi worked together in Haryana but Bishnoi had his eyes on Delhi. To earn Jathedi’s trust, Bishnoi helped him escape from police custody during a court appearance in Faridabad, Haryana (February 2020). Jathedi repaid the favour by introducing Bishnoi to Gogi. The two merged their gangs,” the third police officer added.

By mid-2021, Bishnoi successfully spread his network in Delhi. But he wasn’t alone.

Police said the Bambiha gang too realised they could enter Delhi. And for this they contacted Gogi’s rival, Tillu Tajpuriya.

“Bishnoi, Jathedi, Brar and Gogi became one. The Bambiha gang joined hands with Tillu and Kaushal Rana (a Haryana gangster),” the third officer added.

Police suspect it is this alliance whose members are connected to Moosewala’s murder. Following Moosewala’s murder, Delhi’s Tihar jail officers have increased vigilance to avoid a gang war inside. All gang leaders such as Bishnoi, Tillu, Kala Jathedi are in Delhi’s Tihar jail but continue to run operations from inside.

How did Moosewala fit in? On March 22 , Delhi Police arrested 12 men of the Bambihatillu-kaushal alliance. Police said the gangs were eyeing “NCR turf to expand their operation” especially after Gogi’s killing (September 2021) and Kala Jathedi’s arrest (July 2021).

Police said during questioning, at least three of the 12 confessed to their involvement in the murder of Vikramjeet Singh Middukhera, a Akali youth wing leader in August 2021. Middukhera, a former Panjab University alumnus was also university president in 2009, and from SOPU. Among those who campaigned for him was Bishnoi, then a second-year student.

A Chandigarh police officer, who asked not to be named, said Middukhera had ties with the Punjabi music industry and promoted local singers. The officer said they suspect Bishnoi supported Middukhera while Moosewala had the protection of the Bambiha group.

“The 12 arrested men of the Bambiha-tillu-kaushal alliance said they were given information about Middukhera by Moosewala’s group. They claimed they were also provided shelter by the Moosewala’s group after the murder... It looks like Bishnoi and his accomplice Goldy Brar suspected Moosewala of passing on information about Middukhera to the Bambiha gang. Maybe that is why he was killed,” said the officer.

Until Friday afternoon, Punjab police had arrested three members of the Bishnoi gang. Delhi police too are unofficially probing the case because of Bishnoi’s ties organised crime in the Capital. The police on Wednesday arrested Bishnoi from Delhi’s Tihar jail in a 2021 case of supplying arms but are questioning him for Moosewala’s murder. Punjab Police will question Bishnoi, once Delhi police complete their probe against Bishnoi.