In a high-stakes overnight operation, four wanted criminals linked to Bihar’s Sigma Gang were shot dead in a joint encounter led by the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Bihar Police on Bahadur Shah Marg in Rohini around 2:20 am on Thursday.
The deceased include gang leaders Ranjan Pathak (25) and Manish Pathak (33), Bimlesh Mahto (25), and Aman Thakur (21). Officials said the group had been planning a major strike ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Police sources confirmed that the shootout followed when the gang ignored surrender warnings and opened fire, prompting retaliation.
All four died at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital. The operation is being hailed as a major blow to organised crime networks spanning Bihar, Delhi, and Nepal.
The Operation: A Tactical Midnight Crackdown
Acting on precise intelligence gathered over weeks, the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Bihar Police coordinated one of their largest joint crackdowns in months. Teams tracked the suspects’ movements using digital surveillance and local informants, anticipating that the gang would meet to orchestrate a major crime in Delhi.
Around 2:20 am, when the gang’s white car was intercepted between Ambedkar Chowk and Pansali Chowk, the suspects allegedly opened fire.
“Police issued verbal warnings asking the men to surrender, but they responded with gunfire,” said a senior investigating officer, adding that over two dozen bullets were exchanged in the five-minute confrontation.
Two police personnel sustained minor injuries, while the gangsters suffered critical wounds. They were rushed to Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead. The scene was immediately sealed for forensic analysis, with bullet casings, weapons, and phones recovered from the site.
Who Were the Sigma Gang?
The Sigma Gang had emerged as one of Bihar’s most feared criminal syndicates over the last decade. Operating primarily in Sitamarhi, Sheohar, and Madhubani, their activities extended into Nepal, where they often sought refuge after carrying out attacks.
Led by Ranjan Pathak, the gang specialised in contract killings, extortion, and armed robberies. Pathak himself had become a household name in Sitamarhi after being linked to multiple murders, including those of notable figures such as Brahmashri Sena leader Ganesh Sharma and businessman Aditya Singh. Bihar Police had announced a reward of ₹50,000 for his capture.
Pathak, notorious for taunting authorities through social media audio messages, claimed his gang was fighting “bureaucratic oppression” and targeting corrupt systems. Investigators, however, assert that such rhetoric masked a highly organised crime syndicate motivated by profit. Evidence shows that the Sigma Gang maintained illegal arms channels and extortion networks that stretched from Janakpur in Nepal to Delhi.
Political and Policing Implications
Officials believe the gang’s presence in Delhi was part of a larger strategy to regroup after police crackdowns in Bihar. Intelligence reports indicated that the gang was plotting a violent disruption ahead of the state elections – possibly targeting political figures or holding financiers hostage.
The timing of the encounter, thus, has deep political resonance in Bihar, where gang crime remains a polarising issue.
Police officials in Patna described the operation as a “coordinated success symbolising improved interstate policing.” A Bihar Police spokesperson noted, “This encounter was not only about eliminating criminals-it was about dismantling organised terror that had paralysed districts in North Bihar.”
The event also underscores the growing need for cross-border intelligence sharing between states, especially as many criminal groups now operate through sophisticated online networks and cross-territorial funding systems involving hawala operators.
Fallout and Local Reactions
As news of the encounter spread, Sitamarhi and adjoining areas observed mixed reactions. While many locals expressed relief, saying the gang’s demise restored “a sense of safety,” some human rights groups called for an independent review to ensure due process was followed. Police have maintained that the encounter was “genuine and forced.”
Eyewitnesses in Rohini reported seeing several police vehicles and hearing gunfire shortly before dawn. The families of the deceased have demanded the release of CCTV footage, but officials confirmed ongoing forensic and judicial inquiries. Police have also seized the gang’s phones, which reportedly contain vital evidence about the group’s financiers, safe houses, and potential political connections.
The Road Ahead for Law Enforcement
The encounter is now expected to lead to a broader crackdown on dormant Sigma Gang cells. Both the Delhi Police Cyber Cell and Bihar’s Special Task Force are analysing communications records retrieved from the slain gang leaders.
This case, observers say, represents how urban safe zones like Delhi increasingly become hideouts for interstate crime networks. Experts have urged for amendments in inter-state policing cooperation laws and tighter scrutiny of online movements of known offenders.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly sought a detailed report on the encounter, while the National Crime Records Bureau has been asked to cross-reference the gang’s prior operations with similar groups, including the Rohit Godara network and local contracts in UP and Nepal.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The annihilation of Bihar’s Sigma Gang in Delhi’s heart offers both reassurance and reflection. While the operation demonstrates decisive policing, it also reopens the ethical debate surrounding encounters as instruments of justice.
Swift action may neutralise immediate threats, but such measures must not eclipse the principles of accountability and human rights.
