‘Expendable’ young men lining up to do gangs’ bidding with little or no reward, say police

On the evening of September 12, a gym owner, Nadir Shah, was shot point-blank by two bike-born assailants outside his own gym in the Capital’s upscale Greater Kailash neighbourhood, leaving residents of the otherwise peaceful area shocked and scared for their lives.

So far, seven people have been arrested by the Delhi police, while teams of the Special Cell are on the hunt for the remaining accused; around 20 persons are said to be involved in the murder, including handlers and gangsters working across the borders of several neighbouring States.

The crime, according to the police, was carried out on the behest of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba, although several other gangs played some role in the murder, including the recruitment of members who shot Shah. Lookout circulars have been issued for the main shooters, who are currently on the run.

The high-stakes murder, which was orchestrated as a result of gang rivalries, was carried out on the ground by four young men who were paid as little as ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 for the crime — men who were, ultimately, left out in the cold by the upper echelons of the gangs who hired them once the police began making arrests.

An officer investigating the matter told The Hindu that usually, the Bishnoi gang targets unemployed youth hailing from the neighbouring States of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan to carry out crimes. In this instance, young men from Uttar Pradesh were recruited to conduct a recce of the area preceding the murder.

‘Seen as expendable’

The officer added that these young men, around the age of 18 or so, are usually seen as expendable. “Nobody from these gangs cares what happens to these boys eventually. They aren’t from a financially strong background and they sign up for tasks because they want to earn easy money,” he said.

The recruiting procedure for these gangs is carried out by several people. One amongst these several men is gangster Rohit Godara. Incidentally, Godara also claimed responsibility for Shah’s murder in a social media post, whose authenticity is yet to be verified.

A source added that the Bishnoi gang tracks the social media activities of each hired hand. “When young men are engaging with the gangsters’ content, they are approached through an informer. The money is then transferred through a random account to the handler, after which the henchmen receive a part of the sum,” he said.

Most of the henchmen did not know each other as the module was expected to remain anonymous, the source said, adding that Hashim Baba provided all logistical support, including the weapons for the murder.

Rising trend

The fact that many of these gang war-linked crimes are carried out by young men points to the rising trend of juveniles joining gangs to flaunt weaponry as a status symbol, the officer who investigated the GTB Hospital murder case said.

On July 14, a 32-year-old patient was killed at the hospital by members of Hashim Baba’s gang in a case of mistaken identity where they were told to eliminate a rival gang member who was admitted to the same ward as the victim. A total of nine persons were held, including three juveniles from low income families whose parents worked as hawkers.

“It starts with petty crime, like robbery or snatching, which escalates to extortion, and eventually, murder. The gangsters typically look for minor boys as the law is less strict with them, and chances of bail are more,” said the officer.

Even being able to procure a pistol for ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 is a matter of “honour” for some, he said. “Guns are being used to propagate the ‘gangster dream’ that even Bollywood sells — a certain idea of being able to frequent top nightclubs, procure narcotics and spend money on gambling. It’s a popular cultural ambition that certain young boys who have dropped out of school, especially in north-east Delhi, chase after,” the officer said.

“In a 200 sq. ft. house where parents are struggling and often failing to make ends meet, who is there to teach the kids the difference between right and wrong?” he added.

Deeper ties

Bijender alias Golu, 27, a resident of Rohtak, was arrested earlier this year for his involvement in shooting 25 rounds in an outlet of fast-food joint Burger King in Rajouri Garden and killing a rival gang member. The police said that he had close ties to Portugal-based gangster Himanshu Bhau, who belonged to the same village as him.

Bhau had known Bijender since they were children, a senior officer said. “It is not as if Bijender was recruited by Bhau to work for him as a sharpshooter. They have actually known each other since childhood days. They were jointly involved in a criminal case in 2018 as well,” he said, adding that loyalty is an important factor in gang ties.

Large network

A Crime Branch source familiar with several cases linked to the Bishnoi gang said many young people enter the world of crime through student politics, just like Bishnoi himself, who served as the president of the student organisation of Punjab University during his college days.

“Back then, securing support was easier for him [Bishnoi] as a budding criminal; he had a name in his village, and his gang offered a sense of belonging, especially to those from financially unstable backgrounds. For them, being associated with Bishnoi carried more weight than their own names,” he said.

Young men are also lured by promises of visas for foreign countries, he added.

Fifteen years ago, promoting and recruiting for a gang presented a certain challenge, as posters and pamphlets could only go so far. Now, however, the power of social media has allowed gangsters to actively track trends and share updates, with their posts often going viral.

An officer also noted that due to the ‘instant gratification’ advertised by today’s social media culture, young audiences fail to grasp the fleeting and dangerous nature of a gangster’s career and focus on the allure of easy money.

Published - September 24, 2024 09:02 am IST