Gangster Rajesh Bharti, three associates shot dead by police in Chhatarpur

Gangster Rajesh Bharti and three of his associates were killed today while eight police personnel were injured in a major encounter in south Delhi's Chhatarpur area, police said here.

More than 100 rounds were fired by the gang members and the Delhi police's Special Cell in the shoot-out, they said.

The deceased were identified as the gang's kingpin 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.

Haryana and Delhi police had announced a reward of Rs one lakh on Bharti head, PS Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said.

Rajesh Bharti and Vidroh had escaped from the custody of Haryana Police around one-and-a-half years ago.

Bharti's gang was also referred to as Kranti Gang. Earlier, the gang members were mostly active in Haryana, but in the last one year, they had been carrying out crimes in Delhi.

The Special Cell had been tracking the gang for the last six-seven months. Today, the team learnt that they would be coming to Chandan Hola village in Chhatarpur and a police team of the Special cell's Northern Range, comprising 30 police personnel, was stationed on the route they were expected to take while leaving from a farmhouse, where they had assembled.

The Special Cell's Northern Range team was supervised by Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

"Our team had been tracking the gang ... and had been carrying out raids at their hideouts. The gang members were involved in extortion activities and contract killings in the national capital," Yadav said