New Delhi: A wanted gangster carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 was shot dead by a joint team of Delhi Police’s Special Staff and Gurugram Crime Branch during an encounter near the Astha Kunj Park in southeast Delhi, an official said on Tuesday.
Bhim Mahabahadur Jora (39), a native of Nepal, was wanted for the murder of 63-year-old general physician Yogesh Chander Paul during a robbery at his residence in Jangpura in May 2024.
“Jora was the mastermind of a Nepali gang which employed its members as domestic help in affluent households across metropolitan cities in India.
“After gaining the trust of the families, the gang members would allegedly administer sleep-inducing drugs before looting cash and valuables, sometimes resorting to violence or murder,” DCP (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.
The officer said the encounter took place on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday after a joint team of Delhi and Haryana police received a tip-off about Jora’s movement in the national capital.
“The accused, who was on the run since the Jangpura murder, managed to evade arrest by frequently crossing over to Nepal.
“A trap was laid near the Astha Kunj Park, where the accused was spotted around midnight. When police asked him to surrender, he opened fire at them, prompting retaliatory firing in self-defence,” the DCP said.
Two bullets fired by the accused hit the bulletproof jackets of Inspector Narender Sharma of Gurugram Police and SI Shubham Chaudhary of Delhi Police, who narrowly escaped, he said.
Police fired two shots in self-defence, aiming at Jora’s legs, one of which injured him critically, the officer said.
The accused was rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared him dead during treatment.
During spot inspection, police recovered one automatic pistol and six empty cartridges used by Jora, one live round, and five empty cartridges fired by police.
In May 2024, Jora, along with his gang members, entered the residence of Paul in Jangpura and fatally attacked the doctor during the robbery.
The initial breakthrough came when police arrested one of the accused, Basanti, who was employed as domestic help at the victim’s house.
“However, Jora and his other accomplices fled to Nepal and evaded arrest for nearly 16 months. On receiving fresh inputs about his movement near Delhi, teams from Delhi and Gurugram police launched a coordinated operation that resulted in his neutralisation,” the DCP said.
Gurugram Police was tracking him in connection with two recent cases registered in the city. The criminal nexus run by Jora, also known as Bhim Mahavir Jora, comprised Nepali nationals. It was active in Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the officer said.
The gang targeted well-off families in major cities by exploiting placement agencies.
“They got themselves employed as domestic workers and later sedated the family members using spiked food or drinks before looting valuables. In some cases, they resorted to violence or murder,” the DCP said. Active since 2014, Jora had been linked to five other cases of dacoity, burglary, and murder registered across multiple states. The weapon used by Jora, along with ballistic evidence, has been sent for forensic analysis, the DCP said.