New Delhi: To contain crime in parts of what’s called Delhi’s ‘Paatal Lok’, Delhi Police launched Operation Aaghaat and raided over three dozen locations in different parts of the city on Friday night, targeting the financial network of gangs active there.The targets were members of the notorious Hashim Baba, Irfan Chhenu, Naseem Chaudhary and Nasir. Over Rs 18.5 lakh, believed to be intended for use by criminals in committing various crimes, was seized. Raid were conducted in 36 locations and hideouts were discovered in Chauhan Bangar, New Seelampur, Jafrabad, Welcome, Harsh Vihar, Brahmpuri, Mohanpuri, Noor-e-Elahi, Janta Colony, Kabir Nagar and Mandoli Chungi.Ravindra Yadav special commissioner of police (Law & Order) said, the joint teams of various police stations carried out the operation. Acting on intelligence, the teams conducted coordinated raids at multiple locations.Police said in one of the raids, at the residence of Mumtaj, linked to the Chhenu gang, in Seelampur, police recovered Rs 7.5 lakh in cash. Mumtaj, however, was himself not present at the time. “Another raid targeted the house of Rizwan, also connected to the Chhenu gang, resulting in the seizure of Rs 11.2 lakh and nine live cartridges.” The home of Sabir Chaudhary, affiliated with the Hashim Baba gang, yielded a laptop and seven mobile phones believed to be used for criminal communications.Police confiscated three pistols, two country-made firearms and 20 live cartridges during the raids. Police said Abbas alias Guddu Chundha, 45, Ishrat, 45, Altaf, 22, Ayaan, 23, and Armaan, 22 were apprehended, all of whom were found carrying pistols at the time of arrest.A similar crackdown was carried out in southeast Delhi, where police apprehended 70 suspects and seized 15 firearms, nearly 6,000 bottles of illicit liquor and around 6kg of drugs. A senior police officer said raids were conducted at 50 locations by 600 policemen and 191 people were taken into preventive custody.Police said the primary objectives of the operation were to dismantle organised crime in all its forms and to deter criminal activities in residential areas. “The aim is also to prevent habitual and budding criminals from engaging in illegal activities and to guide them towards rehabilitation and a path of non-recidivism,” she added.Police added that 28 people were caught with weapons, including semi-automatic pistols and knives, 13 arrested for liquor trafficking, nine for drug trafficking and several others for gambling and property-related offences. Police also seized 103 vehicles. The operations were conducted by DCPs Ashish Mishra and Hemant Tiwari.Two earlier raids were conducted in the Outer North and Dwarka districts, resulting in the arrest of 31 people, including the father of gangster Neeraj Bawana. The pre-dawn operations aimed to dismantle the network of overground associates of gangsters operating from abroad and behind bars and to disrupt the financial support that sustains these criminal networks.
