NEW DELHI: The Kranti Gang, led by 39-year-old Rajesh Bharti, who was shot dead along with three of his associates in an encounter by the Delhi Police's Special Cell today, had of late started spreading its tentacles in the city after being active in Haryana for a long time.
They used to leave pamphlets at the spot of crime to establish the identity and supremacy of their gang in the national capital region, a senior police officer said.
He said that they were a "self-styled" vigilante group and believed that by killing, they were wiping out crime from the society.
They were active in border areas of Delhi and Gurgaon.
The gang was being tracked by the district police of Dwarka, Southwest, Crime Branch and Special Cell.
The gang members were involved in cases of carjacking, extortion, murder and attempt to murder.
Another officer from the Special Cell said that the gang members did not even fear the police and if their vehicle was stopped in Haryana for checking, they would wave a weapon and escape from the spot.
The gang members ran out of luck today as they ran into the Delhi Police Special Cell's team.
The deceased were identified as Rajesh Bharti, Sanjeev alias Sandeep Vidroh, Umesh alias Don and Viresh Rana alias Bhiku.
One of the criminals, who was injured, was identified as Kapil.
Bharti, who belonged to Jind in Haryana, was wanted in several cases or extortion, murder, attempt to murder and MCOCA.
He was carrying a reward of Rs one lakh on his head by the Haryana and Delhi Police respectively.
Vidroh was also carrying a reward on his head by the Delhi Police.
Umesh had a reward of Rs 50,000.
Bharti and Vidroh had absconded from the custody of the Haryana Police around one-and-a-half-years ago.
In the last one month, the gang had committed criminal activities in south Delhi, including robbing two Fortuner SUVs from Vasant Kunj area on May 18 and 19 and they were also involved in a carjacking case on June 9.
Last year in July, the gang members had killed a man in Dwarka because he had an illict relationship with the wife of the friend of one of the accused.
They had thrown pamphlets claiming that they were members of Rajesh Bharti gang.
Vidroh was wanted in connection with that case.