One of India’s most wanted fugitive gangsters, Himanshu Bhau has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US. Bhau, whose real name is Himanshu Ritoliya, is wanted by the police across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for a wide range of crimes including extortion, kidnapping, murder, forgery, criminal conspiracy and cheating.
The 24-year-old, who was born in Rohtak, Haryana, leads one of the biggest criminal gangs in the region and is a rival of jailed gangster . In August 2023, Interpol issued a Red Notice to all member countries to take action against Bhau if he is traced in any of their jurisdictions. The Haryana Police had also announced a ₹1.55 lakh cash reward for information leading to Bhau’s arrest. This is in addition to the ₹2.5 lakh declared by the Central Government and ₹1 lakh by the Delhi Police.
According to reports, Bhau’s journey into the world of crime began at the age of 17, when he attempted to murder one of his enemies. Though he was arrested, Bhau managed to flee from the juvenile correctional facility in Hisar in 2020. Since then, he has been involved in organised crimes and has become one of the most wanted gangsters in India.
Bhau is believed to have fled India to Portugal using forged documents and has been controlling the criminal syndicate from abroad. The Himanshu Bhau gang is said to have close ties with Neeraj Bawana and Bambiha gangs and is rival to the Lawrence .
Though the exact number of shooters associated with Himanshu Bhau is unknown, the group is believed to be operating by recruiting young men and local shooters using social media.
The gang recently made headlines in September for the daylight murder of a gym trainer in South Delhi’s Aya Nagar area. The victim, Vijay Kumar, who was also the owner of the gym, was shot dead on September 14, after he was lured outside by some men. Two bike-borne assailants opened fire on him, and Kumar, who was struck by around 15 bullets, died on the spot.
In a social media post, the Himanshu Bhau gang claimed responsibility for the murder. According to the Police, Kumar was the third person to be killed as part of an ongoing rivalry between two families in the area.
