In Haryana, two syndicates are operating. Bhambhiya syndicate in which dreaded gangsters like Neeraj Bawana, Naveen Bali, Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, Himanshu alias Bhau, Kaushal Choudhary and Kala Kharampuriya are involved.

Their rival Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate includes gangsters like Sandeep alias Kala Jathedi, Sampat Nehra, Kala Rana, Ashok Pardhan, Lipin Nehra, his brother Pawan Nehra, Subhey Gujjar and some other gangsters.

Bhau, Sangwan plotted most organised crimes

Police officials said that two dreaded gangsters- Himanshu alias Bhau, a resident of Ritoli village in Rohtak, and Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu of Delhi, had planned the majority of murders and extortion bids in Haryana in recent months.

He operates his gang from the United Kingdom (UK). He jumped parole in 2019 and a year later, he fled to the UK on forged documents.

His brother Jyoti Baba is lodged in Tihar jail. On Kapil’s instructions, a Delhi-based gangster Surajbhan alias Ballu Pehalwan, 42, was shot dead in Faridabad on January 31. The Faridabad police officials had said that Pehalwan was murdered on Sangwan’s instructions as he was the sole eyewitness in his brother-in-law’s murder case.

“Sangwan’s brother-in-law was killed by his rival, Manjeet Mahal. However, Pehalwan skipped two court hearings during which his statement was scheduled to be recorded. Also, he had received threats from the rival gang to not give a statement against Mahal in the murder case,” the police had said after the murder.

Kapil and his brother Jyoti Baba had gunned down Mahal’s father in January 2017.

On February 25, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) state chief Nafe Singh Rathee and a party worker Jai Kishan were killed by assailants in Jhajjar’s Bahadurgarh. Gangster Kapil Sangwan, alias Nandu, had claimed responsibility for the murder saying the INLD leader was a close associate of his archrival Manjeet Mahal, who killed Sangwan’s brother-in-law.

Twenty-two-year-old Himanshu alias Bhau, a resident of Ritoli village in Rohtak, had fled to Portugal in 2022. He is facing 18 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, dacoity and other offences. Last year, Interpol had issued a red-corner notice against him. He is the most trusted aide of Delhi-based gangster Neeraj Bawana, who is lodged in jail. He is operating a gang from abroad and Neeraj is making plans from Tihar jail. His shooters are active in Rohtak, Sonepat, Jhajjar and Delhi.

Recently, he took responsibility for the shooting of Jhajjar-based man, Aman Joon, at a Burger King outlet in Delhi. His three aides, two of whom were involved in the killing, were gunned down in an encounter by Sonepat STF and Delhi police on Friday evening.

On March 10, his two assailants shot dead a liquor trader, Sunder Malik, outside a dhaba in Sonepat’s Murthal. His shooters fired shots outside a showroom in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar and sought a ransom of ₹5 crore. Bhau gang members demanded a ransom of ₹5 crore from INLD Ram Bhagat Gupta by firing shots outside his Mahindra showroom in Hisar on June 24. Later, he sought extortion of ₹2 crore each from two other businessmen in Hisar.

Bhau’s aides had fired shots outside an eatery in Rohtak’s Sampla on February 7 and demanded a ransom of ₹1 crore and his aides opened fire outside an eatery in Gohana on January 21 and sought ₹2 crore extortion.

Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar syndicate

The gang is headed by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi who hails from Ferozepur district of Punjab and jumped to fame in the gang world after planning the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala.

In Haryana, Lawrence Bishnoi gang is dominated by Sandeep aka Kala Jathedi, Ashok Pardhan, Kala Rana and Sampat Nehra, a Rajasthan-based gangster.

Goldy Brar and Lipin Nehra used to operate the gang from abroad. Kala Jathedi, Kala Rana and Lawrence are running the gang from jail.

Recently, a 35-year-old Gurugram-based businessman was gunned down by three unidentified assailants at a hotel near Lakhan Majra town in Rohtak on the night of February 28. Gangster Rohit Godara of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took responsibility for the murder.

Kala Jathedi running a syndicate of over 100 criminals

He has been working with Lawrence Bishnoi and recently married to Anuradha Choudhary alias ‘Lady don’. Sandeep alias Kala Jatheri, a resident of Jatheri village in Sonepat, is lodged in Tihar jail and involved in a dozen murder cases and runs a syndicate of over 100 criminals.

A senior police official from Sonepat said that these gangsters are targeting businessmen and builders.

“The gangsters like Bhau, Kapil Sangwan and Kala Jathedi used to send voice notes and seek ransom from them, threatening them to face dire consequences if the amount is not paid,” he added.

Another police officer from Rohtak said that gangsters are operating from foreign land and inside jails too as they managed to get cellphones inside the jail.

“They use social media platforms and issue instructions to their gang members through these apps. They prefer to hire juveniles who have no police record to commit new crimes. Social media surveillance is a big task to track their new task,” the officer added.

Crime on the rise

Haryana has seen an increase in serious crimes like murders, firing and extortion threats in the recent months and the Opposition has alleged that the BJP government led by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has failed to ensure law and order situation in the state. In the recent months, more than 15 businessmen, politicians and builders had received extortion threats from gangsters and in some cases, shots were fired outside their establishments.

Murder incidents in recent months

On July 10, three bike-borne assailants shot dead a Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader, Ravinder Saini, outside his Hero motorcycle showroom in Hansi.

On July 11, three motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead a 50-year-old milkman, Joginder Singh on the Gohana-Panipat national highway in Sonepat district.

On June 28, a young Delhi Police constable opened fire at his sister’s husband’s family in Charkhi Dadri’s Ghasola village killing the latter’s grandfather.

On March 10, a 36-year-old liquor trader was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside a dhaba in Sonepat’s Murthal.

On March 4, a 43-year-old sarpanch of Kanwari village in Hisar was shot dead by unidentified assailants.

On February 28, a 35-year-old Gurugram-based businessman was gunned down by three unidentified assailants at a hotel in Rohtak.

On February 25, Haryana unit president of the INLD, Nafe Singh Rathee, and a party worker were shot dead by unidentified assailants.

Firing incidents

On July 9, assailants attacked outside the house of BJP leader Ankush Goyal in Kurukshetra’s Ladwa.

On June 28, assailants fired shots outside BJP leader Ravi Kashyap’s house in Faridabad.

On June 7, assailants fired shots ootside former minister Mange Ram’s house in Bahadurgarh.

Extortion incidents

On January 21, assailants had opened fire, injuring milkman Bijender of Mahra village and they threw a piece of paper demanding ₹2 crore.

On February 7, Rohtak police arrested three persons in connection with firing at a shop in Sampla and demanding an extortion of ₹1 crore from shopkeeper Sita Ram.

On June 4, former Bahadurgarh municipal council chairman Ashok Gupta received an extortion call from gangster Kapil Sangwan, who demanded ₹2 crore from him.

On June 5, assailants had fired shots outside another immigration centre in Karnal and sought ₹1 crore ransom.

On June 16, unknown callers demanded a ransom of ₹10 crore from former sarpanch Shriniwas of Fatehgarh village in Jind.

On June 23, bike-borne assailants opened fire at a car owned by an immigration centre owner in Karnal and demanded extortion of ₹1 crore.

On June 24, three masked men fired shots outside a Mahindra showroom in Hisar and demanded a ransom of ₹5 crore from owner Ram Bhagat, who is also national vice-president of INLD.

On June 25, a caller, who introduced himself as Mahakal had demanded an extortion amount of ₹2 crore from an automobile owner, Kittu Bansal, and threatened to kill him if he failed to give the ransom sum.

On June 25, trader Manish Goyal, alias Monu, received an extortion call from gangster Kala Khairampuria, who demanded a protection amount of ₹2 crore.

CM pulls up police top brass

Taking a stern view of the rising incidents of extortion and crime in the state, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini had on Wednesday pulled the police top brass, asking the DGP to make his presence felt in the districts. He had asked the DGP to act tough against the gangsters and contain the crime rate.

‘CM failed to tackle law and order situation’

“CM Nayab Singh Saini has failed to tackle law and order situation. Even, I received several cyberfraud phone calls. Gangsters are openly targeting businessmen, politicians and builders. It seems that bureaucracy is also not listening to him,”said former Haryana home minister Subhash Batra.