'Maya, maut ka dusra naam': How a Bollywood-obsessed 23-year-old's gang was busted by Delhi Police

Delhi Police arrested a 23-year-old gangster, inspired by a Bollywood crime film, after a dramatic encounter in Sarita Vihar.

A 23-year-old man who fashioned himself as a Delhi-based gangster inspired by a Bollywood crime thriller was shot in the leg and arrested following an exchange of fire with police in the Sarita Vihar area on Monday night.

The suspect, who went by the alias ‘Maya’, fancied himself the leader of a gang he had named after his silver-screen idol.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the police had received a tip-off about the movement of Sagar, whose full name was withheld, in connection with a recent armed robbery in Amar Colony.

A team laid a trap near the Sarita Vihar flyover around 11.45 pm. When police attempted to stop him, Sagar allegedly abandoned his scooter and opened fire on the officers.

“Two rounds were fired by the police in self-defence, one of which struck him in the leg,” a senior officer was cited by The Indian Express as saying. The injured suspect was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, where doctors declared him out of danger.

From the scene, police recovered a .32 bore semi-automatic pistol, live and empty cartridges and the scooter, which was later confirmed as stolen.

Investigators revealed that Sagar was no petty criminal. He was listed as a habitual offender at the Amar Colony Police Station and had more than 20 cases registered against him, including charges of robbery, snatching, attempt to murder and even firing at police personnel.

His criminal persona, it seems, was heavily influenced by cinema. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Hemant Tiwari stated, “He is fond of action movies and inspired by the character ‘Maya’ from the movie Shootout at Lokhandwala. He wanted to become Maya Bhai.”

Sagar had formed his own ‘Maya Gang’ and even had a chilling motto for it. “The logo of the Maya Gang, headed by him, is ‘Maya, maut ka dusra naam (Maya, another name for death)’,” DCP Tiwari was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The gang’s identity was literally etched onto its members. “The name ‘Maut’ is the identity of this gang, which every member has tattooed,” Tiwari added, revealing the extent of Sagar’s influence.

The DCP further described the 23-year-old as “desperate,” alleging he extorted protection money from other criminals and was “so crazy about weapons that he used to upload photos of pistols and knives on various social media platforms.”

The Delhi Police have termed the arrest a significant breakthrough. Efforts are now underway to track down and apprehend the remaining members of the ‘Maya Gang’, bringing a real-world crime saga, born from cinematic fantasy, to a close.