Inspiration from Bollywood gangster films, the allure of establishing an online persona, and awareness of legal loopholes are seemingly driving youth in pockets of north-east Delhi towards a life of crime in recent times.
Gangs of young men and boys — who have been in and out of juvenile observation homes — are involved in petty offences like theft as well as serious crimes like murder, the police said.
Areas like Bhajanpura, Shastri Park, and Welcome have become hotspots of such criminal activities, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) Joy Tirkey told The Hindu.
‘Instagram gangster’
In November, a boy was arrested for allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old over 50 times, stealing ₹350 from him and dragging his lifeless body through the dingy streets of Janta Mazdoor Colony.
CCTV footage of the incident showed the accused, 16, dancing next to the body.
The juvenile identified himself as a “gangster” on Instagram, where his username contained the number ‘302’ — a possible reference to Section 302 (murder) of the IPC.
The police said he was a habitual offender and involved in a murder-robbery case around 18 months ago. “He knew he would get off lightly since he is a juvenile,” an officer said. Requesting the court to consider the case ‘rarest of the rare’, the police are seeking to try the accused as an adult this time, he added.
“Some boys think if they write ‘302’ or 307 [reference to IPC Section 307, i.e. attempt to murder] on their social media profile, they can establish a presence online, if not on the ground,” the officer said.
Celluloid inspiration
The ‘Maya gang’ gained notoriety in August for its involvement in a shoot-out over a petty argument in Bhajanpura, which claimed the life of Amazon employee Harpreet Gill.
The accused included Bilal Gani, 18, Suhail, 23, Mohammad Junaid, 19, Adnan, 19, and Mohammad Sameer alias Maya — the 18-year-old leader of the eponymous gang whose criminal antecedents date back to 2020.
A Crime Branch officer said Maya had built close ties with members of the Chenu gang while he was in a juvenile home for two murders. “He adopted his moniker from Maya Dolas, the real-life gangster portrayed by Vivek Oberoi in the film ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’,” the officer added.
On Instagram, Maya’s profile shows off photos and Reels of bikes, hookahs, pistols and bottles of alcohol. It also has Stories with news videos where residents blame his gang for disturbances in the area.
Pre-emptive action
In Seelampur, an upcoming gang was nipped in the bud after the police apprehended five boys involved in a stabbing case in February.
The ‘Mastan gang’ had at least 15 members, whose modus operandi allegedly involved waylaying two-wheeler riders on deserted stretches.
A senior officer said the gang was led by Shoaib alias Mastan — who borrowed his identity from the late Mumbai underworld don Haji Mastan — and operated mostly in Jafrabad, Welcome, Seelampur and Shastri Park.
“Shoaib recruited several boys in the age group of 14-15 through Instagram, who had nicknames like ‘Haddi’, ‘Moongfali’, and ‘Pistol’, all associated with their behavioural traits. They knew the law for juveniles and would get out of observation homes within two months,” the officer added.
Providing opportunities
Mr. Tirkey said the gang was motivated not merely by the thrill of crime. “These boys come from broken families and have no livelihood. They either dropped out of schools or their parents did not have the money to pay their fees. It is easy to be influenced when you live around people who commit petty offences for a living.”
The DCP said the North East Delhi police has been focusing on providing young boys with vocational training to make them employable. “We started programmes to teach them driving or cooking but [many] boys don’t want to do that. Our plan for 2024 is to focus on providing jobs,” he added.
Published - January 01, 2024 01:15 am IST
