Manjeet Mahal, one of Delhi’s ‘most wanted’, arrested

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.”

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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, was released on bail and went into hiding after that.

Mahal was an offshoot of the Anoop-Balraj gang of Mitraon village. He, along with Balraj, gunned down several close associates of criminal-turned-politician Kishan 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.