Murders, extortion: Here's why a 21-year-old Portugal-based gangster has Delhi Police on its toes

With an Interpol red alert in Portugal, 21-year-old Himanshu, also known as Bhau, is a reputed gangster connected to shootings at Gulshan Dhaba and in Dwarka.

Every time gunshots ring out in a commercial centre in Delhi, the first thing the police do is inquire about the number of bullets fired. If the count exceeds 12, Himanshu, or as Bhau as he is better known, is their primary suspect.

And that is the closest they get to him. The 21-year-old has an international arrest warrant, a red corner notice by Interpol, issued against him. The alleged gangster is believed to be in Portugal but has the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Delhi Police and Haryana Police on their toes.

Himanshu, who once “operated” in Haryana, has been making his way into the Delhi-NCR underworld, which is emerging as a new law and order problem.

He has been linked to several murders and extortion calls in the National Capital Region, with the Delhi Police offering a reward of Rs 1 lakh and their Haryana counterparts Rs 1.5 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

In March, his men gunned down a liquor trader at the popular Gulshan Dhaba, situated along the highway halfway between Delhi and Sonepat in Haryana. Sundar Malik was shot about 40 times.

The murder, which was caught on camera, triggered outrage on social media.

In December, Himanshu’s accomplices allegedly fired more than 40 rounds at a builder's office in Delhi’s Dwarka.

According to reports, Himanshu is less than five years old in the world of crime but already has a lengthy list of cases against his name.

A resident of Ritauli village in Rohtak village, his first recorded crime was an attempt to murder. When he was apprehended by the authorities in 2020, he was still a few months away from turning 18.

He was taken to a juvenile correctional facility in Hisar but he escaped. Soon, at least 17 FIRs, for murder, attempted murder and extortion,  were lodged against him in the Jhajjar and Rohtak districts of Haryana.

Three murders in 25 days in March 2022 forced the police to launch a large-scale search operation. They raided the homes of Himanshu’s alleged associates and hideouts.

With police turning up the heat, Himanshu reportedly used fake documents to get a passport to flee the country by the year-end. According to reports, he first fled to Dubai and then to Portugal.

In 2023, the Haryana Police contacted Interpol in April and got a red-corner notice against him. As part of the crackdown, NIA sleuths searched over 50 places between Rohtak and Delhi. Around 500 police personnel were involved in the searches during which 79 mobile phones, 50 SIM cards, foreign exchange, bullets, passports, and bank documents were found.