Two held after Delhi encounter over Bhajanpura extortion case

• Delhi Police arrested Wasim and Kaifi after a late-night exchange of fire in Usmanpur Yamuna Khadar; both suffered bullet injuries to their legs

• Police linked the pair to a 2 October extortion incident in Bhajanpura and said they were associated with the Rashid Cablewala gang

• Investigators suspect Cablewala has links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang; two officers escaped injury after bullets struck their protective jackets

Delhi Police arrested two men wanted in connection with an extortion case after a late-night exchange of fire in Usmanpur Yamuna Khadar, officials said on Monday.

The suspects, identified as Wasim and Kaifi, sustained gunshot injuries to their legs and were taken to hospital after being apprehended.

According to police, the North East Delhi District Special Staff team set up an operation in the area, within New Usmanpur police station limits, after receiving information about the pair’s movements.

Officers signalled the suspects to stop when they approached, but the two allegedly tried to escape and fired at the team. Police said officers returned fire, injuring both men before taking them into custody.

Bullets fired by the suspects struck the bulletproof jackets of two officers, police said. Neither officer was injured.

Investigators said Wasim and Kaifi had demanded money from a businessman in Bhajanpura on 2 October and fired shots into the air. A case was registered following that incident.

Police described the pair as associates of the Rashid Cablewala gang, which operates in north-east Delhi. Preliminary inquiries suggest Cablewala may be working for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, though investigators are continuing to examine those connections.

Further inquiries are under way into the arrested men’s backgrounds and their possible associations with other gang members.

In a separate operation on Friday, the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested Ghulam Khwaja, also known as Ale, in connection with an attempted murder case. The 30-year-old Dabri resident had been declared a proclaimed offender.

Police said Khwaja disclosed links to the Takkar gang during questioning and provided information about its activities in Dwarka, Dabri, Uttam Nagar and neighbouring parts of Haryana.

With IANS inputs