New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested Vikas Shaka, a dreaded criminal and a close aide of the notorious Gogi gang, after a late-night encounter in the Barwala Chowk area of Rohini, officials said on Saturday.

Shaka, a native of Jhajjar in Haryana, was wanted in several heinous cases, including murder, kidnapping, and extortion.

He had been absconding for several months and was involved in violent crimes across Delhi-NCR and parts of Haryana and Rajasthan.

According to police, Shaka was the prime suspect in a gruesome murder case in Haryana. He allegedly kidnapped a young man, strangled him to death, and later burnt the body in Alwar.

The Special Cell had been tracking Shaka’s movements for several days. Late on Friday night, they received a tip-off that he would be meeting an associate in the Barwala Chowk area. Acting swiftly, police teams laid a trap and cordoned off the area.

As soon as Shaka arrived on a motorcycle, he sensed the police presence and opened fire on the team in a desperate attempt to flee. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, he sustained a bullet injury to his leg. He was immediately apprehended.

The police recovered a country-made pistol, several live cartridges, and the motorcycle he was riding.

He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is now in police custody.

Interrogation is underway, and officials say they are hopeful of extracting crucial information about the gang’s activities.

The Gogi gang, named after its slain kingpin Jitender Maan alias Gogi, had gained notoriety in recent years for its involvement in contract killings, armed robberies, and inter-gang rivalries.

Gogi was shot dead inside a courtroom in Rohini in 2021 in a sensational attack that exposed the extent of gang violence in the national capital.

–IANS

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