New Delhi, October 23 – Four wanted criminals from Bihar were killed in a joint police encounter involving the Delhi Police and Bihar Police in the Rohini area of the national capital. The slain men were reportedly involved in several cases of murder and extortion in Bihar, police officials confirmed on Thursday.
As per agency report, the deceased were identified as Ranjan Pathak (25), Bimlesh Mahto alias Bimlesh Sahni (25), Manish Pathak (33), and Aman Thakur (21) — all residents of Bihar’s Sitamarhi district and members of the notorious “Sigma Gang.” The encounter, which took place at around 2:20 a.m. on Bahadur Shah Marg in Rohini on Wednesday night, is being described as one of the biggest police operations in Delhi in recent years.
According to investigators, the accused were plotting a series of crimes in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Sources revealed that the gang had carried out a murder earlier this month after the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct on October 6.
Gang leader Ranjan Pathak, who had a reward of Rs. 25,000 on his head, was wanted in eight separate criminal cases. The joint police operation was launched after receiving intelligence that the suspects were hiding in Delhi.
During the raid, the criminals allegedly opened fire on the police team. Officers retaliated in self-defense, leading to a brief but intense gunfight in which all four accused sustained bullet injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital in Rohini, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
Officials said the operation was carried out based on a tip-off shared by Bihar Police, following which Delhi Police’s Crime Branch and a team from Bihar coordinated surveillance and set a trap in the area. Preliminary investigation suggests the gang had been planning major criminal activities in Bihar in the run-up to the state elections.
The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.
