Cops nab Gogi, Sonu Kharkhari gangsters

NEW DELHI:The Delhi Police have arrested two notorious criminals linked to the Gogi and Sonu Kharkhari gangs, uncovering their involvement in a Pakistan-linked crypto fraud racket.

The accused have been identified as Ritik alias Bomb (22), son of Rajendra, and Chandan (19), son of Bindu Lal, both residents of Kapashera, Delhi. Police said the arrests took place at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar during a patrol on October 2, amid heightened security for the Dussehra festivities.

“The arrests were made by a patrol team from Samaypur Badli Police Station after officers noticed a suspicious white Hyundai i20 car missing a front number plate,” said Hareshwar Swami, DCP Outer North.

When signalled to stop, the vehicle attempted to flee but was intercepted after a brief chase. Three occupants escaped, while Ritik and Chandan were caught with a semi-automatic pistol, a country-made pistol, and live cartridges. Ritik, a history-sheeter and “Bad Character” of Kapashera Police Station, is involved in at least six serious cases, including robbery, attempted homicide, and arms violations. Chandan has two prior cases of robbery and illegal arms possession. Both had recently been released from jail and resumed criminal activity.

During interrogation, Ritik confessed to working for the Sonu Kharkhari and Gogi gangs, facilitating crypto-based money laundering for handlers in Pakistan. He acted as a mediator between Pakistani operatives and Indian crypto traders, using UPI IDs to convert funds from fake loan app victims into cryptocurrency, earning commissions on each transaction.

Police recovered mobile evidence linking Ritik to Pakistani WhatsApp numbers and Binance accounts used for laundering proceeds. Both accused have been remanded to five days’ police custody, and efforts are ongoing to trace their absconding accomplices.