The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Manjeet Mahal, one of Delhi’s ‘most wanted’, arrested
THE DELHI Police Special Cell arrested Manjeet Mahal, one of Delhi’s most wanted — allegedly involved in a series of murders, extortions and other heinous crimes in the capital and its neighbouring states — from Dwarka on Thursday. A native of Mitraon village in Najafgarh, Mahal had a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.
Mahal was also allegedly involved in the murder of Bharat Singh, former Indian National Lok Dal MLA from Najafgarh. Nearly seven armed men had gunned down Singh at a farmhouse in Najafgarh, where he was attending a ‘ mundan’ ceremony in March, 2015.
P S Kushwaha, DCP (special cell), said, “Mahal was planning to kill his rivals, including Delhi gangster Krishan Pehalwan, brother of deceased Bharat Singh. Hence, he had assembled a large amount of ammunition.”
The Special Cell, on Thursday, received a tip-off that Mahal will be in Dwarka to meet an associate. “Acting on the information, we immediately rushed and laid a trap. At about 12:55 pm, Mahal was arrested. One 9mm loaded pistol with 10 live cartridges and 42 live cartridges of 9mm were recovered from his possession,” said Kushwaha.
Mahal was arrested earlier in 2013 in connection with an attempt to murder one Dheerpal at B4 Chowk on Narela Road. He, however,wasreleasedonbailand went into hiding after that.
Mahal was an offshoot of the Anoop-balraj gang of Mitraon village.he,alongwithbalraj,gunned down several close associates of criminal-turned-politiciankishan Pehalwan during the gang war in late 1990s and early 2000.
Mahal came in contact with Balraj during his school days in Mitraon village. “Balraj helped him with money and arms, and later he became an active member of the Anoop-balraj Gang. After Balraj’s death, he became the head of the gang,” said a police officer. “He was the one who procured weapons for those who shot Bharat Singh,” said a source.
Mahal’s name first cropped up in the police records when he was involved in a criminal intimidation in Inder Puri in 1992. “Soon after, he started supplying huge quantity of illegal liquor in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan,” added a source.