Gangster Rajesh Bharti boasted of D-Company links, used names like Chhota Shakeel to terrorise targets

Rajesh Bharti, who was by Delhi Police’s special cell, did not hesitate to boast about his alleged links with dons in Dubai while extorting money from his targets.

Names like that of Chhota Shakeel was often thrown in during conversations by Bharti to terrorise his potential targets from whom he extorted hefty payments as protection money, senior police officers said.

Delhi Police is also probing if Bharti was booked earlier under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act(MCOCA), 1999, a law that deals with organised crime and terrorism.

Special commissioner of police and Delhi Police’s chief spokesperson Dependra Pathak said that Bharti’s links with Dubai and Shakeel are yet to ascertained but cannot be ruled out at this stage.

“Bharti and his aide Sanjeet Vidrohi’s contact details are still being verified. We suspect that he was earlier booked under MCOCA. We are verifying his details and his overseas contacts. In many cases of extortion filed against Bharti, complainants had stated that he mentioned his Dubai links,” Pathak said.

The special police commissioner said that Bharti and his gang operated across many states and had managed to hoodwink the police till they were gunned down by the special cell team on Saturday in south Delhi.

Pathak also said that Bharti’s strong links with gangster Manoj Morkheri are also being looked into. Morkheri, once a top criminal of Delhi-NCR, was arrested in 2013 along with two of his associates, Vivek and Praveen, following an encounter which took place in outer Delhi’s Alipur.

In an audio clip, provided by police sources, Bharti reportedly is heard demanding ₹50 lakh from a bookie in Delhi as protection money. However, Hindustan Times could not verify the authenticity of the clip independently. Bharti in the same clip is heard threatening the bookie of dire consequences if his demands were not met.

Police said that Bharti’s Kranti Gang was Haryana-based but what brought him to Delhi was mostly his interest in luxury cars. The gang executed three carjackings, targeting Fortuner SUVs, in three incidents in May this year alone. Two of the above incidents was reported from south Delhi.

Police suspect that Bharti and his men had gathered in Chhatarpur on Saturday morning to plan another such carjacking. A senior police officer said that primary probe had revealed one of the gangster’s aide, who managed to escape from the area, owned a farm house in the area.

“It is suspected that the gang used the farm house as a hideout and had therefore gathered there. The man managed to flee but has been identified as a resident of Lado Sarai. We cannot reveal the identity as the matter is still under probe. He is a property dealer by profession. Of the two cars the accused were travelling in on Saturday, the i20 was stolen,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.

The entire operation lasted for about four minutes and claimed the lives of Bharti, Vidrohi and two of their aides. One of the Bharti’s aides was injured and is under treatment. Deputy commissioner of police (special cell), Pramod Kushwah said eight policemen suffered injuries, six of who were shot. A head constable sustained four bullet injuries, including one in his neck, and is critical. Four other policemen sustained two bullet injuries each in the shootout and are under treatment, the officer said.