Over 120 criminals from Mewat in Haryana were arrested last year by Delhi Police for their involvement in cattle theft in the capital and the NCR. They were also involved in other crime like murder, robbery, dacoity, carjacking, burglary and rape.
In the recent past, several incidents of police being attacked by these gangs have also been reported. Just last week, they had pelted stones and shot at policemen to dodge arrest.
“The gangs are led by notorious criminals and engage mainly in cow slaughtering, and do not hesitate in attacking anyone who comes in their way,” said S B S Tyagi, deputy commissioner of police (crime).
In May 2012, a constable was brutally killed when he was chasing a gang in north-west Delhi’s Bharat Nagar. Naresh Kumar Verma was on patrol when he got a message about a gang passing through Netaji Subhash Place in a mini-truck.
Policemen from different posts chased the mini-truck for two to three kilometres until they reached Bharat Nagar police station. There, Verma sped after the truck on a motorcycle and overtook it.
When the criminals saw the motorcycle in front of their truck, they rammed into it, following which Verma suffered head injuries and died on the spot.
“Six Mewat-based accused, including Shakir, Sukha and Arif, were arrested. A country-made pistol with four live cartridges and a Tata 407 mini-truck were recovered,” Tyagi added.
In a similar incident, head constable Yashpal Singh, posted with Mehrauli police station, was killed by one of the gangs in south-west Delhi’s Baba Haridas Nagar on August 24.
Jamshed, Arif, Rahis and Mubarak were arrested, following which they told police that their gang was trying to steal stray cattle from Jharoda village when Singh, who was on a motorcycle, saw them.
Singh got down to question them. At this, the gang members caught hold of him and shot him at point-blank range. Police have now decided to compile a database of truckers travelling to and from Mewat.
“We are building a database of drivers and truck staff usually travelling to the region, which can be referred to while investigating crime by Mewati gangs as well as incidents of highway robbery,” a police officer said.