Delhi/Sitamarhi: In a major joint operation, the Bihar Special Task Force (STF), Delhi Police, and Sitamarhi Police gunned down four notorious criminals from Bihar’s Sigma & Company gang in an encounter in Delhi’s Rohini area early Thursday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Sitamarhi’s dreaded gangster Ranjan Pathak, his cousin Manish Pathak, and his associates Aman Thakur and Vimlesh Mahato. The four were involved in multiple murders, extortion, and contract killings across North Bihar, operating with cross-border links in Nepal.
Encounter in Rohini
According to police, the encounter took place around 2:20 am on Bahadur Shah Marg in Rohini after a joint team received intelligence inputs that the accused were hiding in Delhi and plotting a major crime ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. When the police surrounded them, the criminals opened fire.
“About 25–30 rounds were fired by the criminals, while police retaliated with 15–20 bullets. All four were critically injured and rushed to Dr. BSA Hospital, where doctors declared them dead,” an official said.
Police recovered an AK-47 rifle, three pistols, a country-made pistol, and a white car with a fake license plate from the scene. The slippers of the criminals were also found near the car.
Criminals’ Modus Operandi
Investigations revealed that the Sigma & Company gang had spread terror across Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, and Madhubani, extending operations to Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. The gang’s members frequently planned murders in Biratnagar and Janakpur (Nepal) before executing them in Bihar and escaping across the border.
Ranjan Pathak was infamous for his brutal execution style — firing six bullets into the victim’s head and chest within 10 seconds. He reportedly never left any survivors. In a macabre display of dominance, Pathak would paste his “biodata” at the murder site after each killing.
He meticulously avoided digital footprints — never reusing mobile phones or withdrawing money online. The gang’s funding came primarily from Nepal-based networks, and Pathak often posted about his crimes on social media to lure and influence local youth.
Rewards and Criminal Background
Bihar Police had announced cash rewards on all four accused:
- Ranjan Pathak (Sursand, Sitamarhi) – ₹50,000
- Vimlesh Mahato (Bajpatti) – ₹25,000
- Manish Pathak (Sursand) – ₹25,000
- Aman Thakur (Shivhar) – ₹25,000
The group was wanted in several cases of extortion, contract killings, arms smuggling, kidnapping, and ransom across North Bihar.
Conspiracy to Disrupt Bihar Polls
Police sources said an audio clip recovered from Ranjan Pathak’s phone suggests that the gang was conspiring to spread unrest before the upcoming Bihar elections. The Begampur Police Station in Rohini district has registered a case and initiated further investigation into the gang’s links and funding network.
Visuals from the Encounter Site
Police teams arrived at the scene post-encounter to collect evidence. The white car used by the gang, bullet casings, and personal items like slippers were found scattered nearby.
