Four wanted gangsters linked to Bihar’s notorious Ranjan Pathak gang were killed in a joint encounter led by the Delhi and Bihar Police in the early hours of Thursday. According to news agency ANI, the shootout erupted around 2.20 am on Delhi’s Bahadur Shah Marg after police intercepted the gang’s vehicle.
The gangsters, who were killed, were identified as Ranjan Pathak (25), Bimlesh Mahto (25), Manish Pathak (33), and Aman Thakur (21). While Aman Thakur was from Karwal Nagar in Delhi, the rest were from Sitamarhi in Bihar.
Police trap ends in gunfire and death
According to the Hindustan Times, the gang was to execute a big criminal act before the Bihar Assembly elections, police sources said. Acting on intelligence inputs, the Delhi Police Crime Branch and the Bihar Police set a trap for the gang in the Rohini area.
When the police attempted to intercept them, the gangsters fired. The police fired back, and in a short exchange of fire, "all four accused sustained bullet injuries and were rushed to a hospital, Rohini, where doctors declared them dead," said DCP Crime Branch Sanjeev Yadav.
Senior officers from both forces visited the spot after the encounter. Forensic and crime scene investigation teams were sent for a thorough check.
Ranjan Pathak's gang network extended over states
The gangsters were wanted for several high-profile criminal cases in Bihar, ranging from murders to armed robberies, police officials said. The kingpin of the gang, Ranjan Pathak, headed an organised crime group that operated in pockets of Bihar and bordering states, PTI quoted the sources as saying.
According to an NDTV report, Pathak was wanted in at least eight criminal cases, including murder, and had a ₹25,000 bounty on his arrest.
He had apparently made public challenges to the Delhi Police in the form of social media updates, and one voice message suggested a big operation was being orchestrated before the state elections.
