2 Tillu Tajpuria gang associates held with pistols, cartridges in Delhi

Two alleged members of the Tillu Tajpuria gang were arrested with illegal firearms and ammunition in Outer Delhi, police said on Sunday.

Vishal Pandit and Deepanshu, aged 22 and 26, were apprehended by the Crime Branch after an intelligence input about their movement in the Holambi Khurd area, they said.

According to the police, the two were carrying an illegal semi-automatic pistol each and six live cartridges.

A car allegedly used by them for criminal activities was also seized.

During interrogation, Pandit and Deepanshu revealed that they were active associates of the Tajpuria gang and were in touch with other gang members through social media, the police said.

Investigators suspect their links to a recent firing incident in Outer Delhi.

At the time of their arrest, they were allegedly collecting information about members of the rival Gogi gang.

Hostilities between the two gangs ratcheted up in the wake of the killing of Tajpuria in 2023 inside Tihar jail.

According to the police, preliminary investigation indicated that after Tajpuria’s death, his gang’s activities were being coordinated by Himmat alias Cheeku, who has been absconding since he jumped parole in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Pandit and Deepanshu also disclosed that they had recently been supplied firearms and ammunition by gang handlers and were awaiting instructions regarding potential targets, the police said.

The two were previously involved in multiple criminal cases, including those related to an attempt to murder, extortion and violations of the Arms Act.