In Joint Operation, Delhi Police Gun Down 4 Members Of Bihar’s Infamous ‘Sigma & Company’ Gang

Four gangsters with a crime syndicate, based in Bihar, were shot dead after the exchange of fire lasted more than 40 rounds with a joint operation of police from Delhi and Bihar on Thursday at Rohini Sector 32 in northwest Delhi, said senior police officers from both states.

The men from Bihar belong to a crime syndicate named “Sigma & Company” that has been identified as part of a series of contract killings and extortion in north Bihar.

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The dead gangsters identified as Ranjan Pathak, 25, the second-in-command of the group, Bimlesh Mahto, 25, Manish Pathak, 33, and Aman Thakur, 21, were killed after the joint operation of the Delhi Police Crime Branch and the Bihar Police Special Task Force (STF) intercepted and engaged them in crossfire.

According to officials, the group had been “hiding” out in Delhi for several days to “evade arrest” and were allegedly in the city to plan new attacks on the eve of the Bihar Assembly elections. The senior Bihar police official said the criminals had relatives in Delhi, prompting their flight to the city to evade arrest.

The police reported that the gang was intending to prepare for some “unrest” through targeted killings and extortion in the districts of Sitamarhi, Sheohar and other districts nearby.

“They were planning high-profile hits to create fear before the elections,” a senior crime branch officer said. The Bihar Police has announced a reward of ₹50,000 for the arrest of Ranjan, and ₹25,000 each for the remaining three arrested.

Kumar stated that on Tuesday, the crime branch received word from the Bihar Police that the four were in Delhi and that a five-member Bihar Police STF team was also already in Delhi to keep tabs on them.

“On Wednesday evening, we got CCTV footage in which they were seen riding two motorcycles without helmets in a village near Nangloi,” Delhi joint commissioner of police (crime) Surender Kumar said.

Using technical surveillance, the police were able to track their movements to Rohini. On Thursday, around 2 am, the team spotted the assailants in a white Maruti Baleno and followed them.

The police attempted to intercept them near Bahadur Shah Marg by blocking their path with iron barricades at around 2:20 am. Even as they approached the vehicle to request the suspect to surrender, the four men exited the vehicle out of all four doors and fired their weapons in an attempt to escape. “Our team fired back in self-defence,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Sanjeev Yadav. “All four sustained bullet injuries and were rushed to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, where doctors declared them dead at 3.15am.”

The police had recovered four semi-automatic pistols, one country-made gun, and over two dozen spent bullet shells from the scene. The officers indicated that the gangsters fired at least 25 rounds, while the police returned fire with 15 rounds.

Bihar's director general of police Vinay Kumar stated that their investigation has indicated that the gang was attempting to establish dominance over the criminal landscape in north Bihar. Ranjan had been "openly challenging" the police in messages and via social media according to Kumar.

Kundan Krishnan, additional director general (ADG, Bihar) said, “We got an audio clip in which Ranjan is heard talking about spreading unrest before the Bihar assembly elections.”

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Law enforcement investigators are attempting to ascertain where and how this group of individuals acquired the weapons and how they were able to travel freely between Bihar and Delhi although they have been included on several wanted lists.

The shoot-out

The fire exchange, investigators indicated, was the outcome of a two day operation that resulted in multiple cities. Taskforces from both states were reviewing CCTV, identifying digital footprints, and coordinating raids in NCR Delhi. “They had changed hideouts several times. We found they were staying in rented accommodations using fake IDs,” said an officer involved in the investigation.

By Thursday afternoon, the locals had come to observe the shootout site near Bawana Road after reporters had been called there. The road, which is a remote road that had little traffic and no houses around it had been sealed off and forensic teams were examining the site.

When HT arrived, a white Baleno was found unattended with both driver’s side and passenger’s side doors opened and all penetrated wind shields. Blood, torn clothing items, and a few shoes were still located on the asphalt, several yards from the police vans and forensics team assuredly moving back and forth with little urgency.

Suryaraj, a 50-year-old tea vendor who works along the stretch indicated that he had no idea a gun fight had occurred a few hundred yards away from his spot. “I was here till almost 2am serving tea to truckers,” he said. “We didn’t hear a thing. No gunshots, no sirens. Only in the morning did we see the blood and police everywhere.”

Another resident, Laxmi Singh, who resides at a nearby Jai Chand Colony, stated she was also unaware of the gunfire. “Some people said they saw police cars and heard shouting. Four men shot dead – it’s terrifying. Thankfully, we were all inside.”

At Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, where the men were taken after being shot and pronounced dead upon arrival, doctors stated they had multiple gunshot wounds. “They had no chance of survival,” said one doctor, requesting anonymity. “Each had at least two bullet injuries."

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