New Delhi: Four alleged criminals were shot dead in an encounter with a joint team of the Delhi Crime Branch and the Bihar Police early Thursday morning. Police said three of the slain gang members were residents of Sitamarhi district in Bihar, while one was from Delhi.
The encounter took place around 2:20 a.m. on Bahadur Shah Marg, between Dr. Ambedkar Chowk and Pansali Chowk. According to officials, a gunfight broke out when police tried to intercept a white car in which the gang members were travelling. The accused allegedly opened fire, prompting police to retaliate.
The deceased were identified as Ranjan Pathak (25), Bimalesh Mahato alias Bimalesh Sahni (25), and Manish Pathak (33) — all residents of Sitamarhi, Bihar — and Aman Thakur (21), a resident of Delhi. They were taken to Dr. BSA Hospital in Rohini, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
Police sources said the gang, known as ‘Sigma & Company,’ had been on the radar of both Bihar and Delhi Police for several months. The gang was allegedly planning to spread terror in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Investigators said Ranjan Pathak, believed to be the gang’s leader, had a criminal record in Sitamarhi and was wanted in multiple cases. His network reportedly extended from Bihar to Nepal. Pathak had also made headlines earlier after sending his “biodata” to media houses following the murder of a Sitamarhi businessman.
Senior police officials confirmed that several rounds of gunfire were exchanged during the encounter. Slippers, empty cartridges, and other materials were recovered from the site.
A police investigation team later reached the scene to collect forensic evidence. “Preliminary findings suggest the accused opened fire first, forcing the police to retaliate,” an officer said.
The bodies have been sent for postmortem, and further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members of the gang and their links across states.
