New Delhi, Feb 24 (PTI) Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested gangster Dheerpal alias Deepak, a key member of Manoj Morkheri and Vikas Lagarpuria gang, an official said on Monday.

Dheerpal, 37, was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh's Chandousi following a three-month-long operation, the official said, adding that he had been evading law jumping interim bail in October 2023 granted for his mother's medical treatment.

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"A proclaimed offender in five criminal cases, including those under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOC) Act, he was also found to be using a false identity to evade capture," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell, Amit Kaushik, in a statement.

According to the police, Dheerpal has a long history of involvement in violent crimes, with 25 criminal cases, including murder, dacoity and kidnapping, registered against him.

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He had been declared a proclaimed offender in kidnapping for ransom in Prashant Vihar, MCOC Act violation of Crime Branch, robbery and arms act in Bahadurgarh city and Pataudi and an attempt to murder in Jhajjar.

Dheerpal had been on the run, frequently changing locations and avoiding digital traces to evade arrest. The police teams conducted multiple raids in Rajasthan, Haryana and Outer Delhi but failed to locate him initially.

He was traced in Uttar Pradesh's Chandousi, where his movements was tracked on February 15, said the DCP, adding that he was arrested.

Dheerpal, who hails from Redhuwas village in Jhajjar, studied up to the 12th standard. He became involved in criminal activities at a young age and initially worked as a supervisor at a petrol pump owned by his maternal uncle in Najafgarh. There, he came into contact with gangsters like Manoj Morkheri, Dheerpal alias Kana and Jyoti Prakash alias Baba, leading to his involvement in organised crime.

In 2011, he, along with accomplices, kidnapped a person for ransom in Delhi's Prashant Vihar area. In 2012, he was involved in the high-profile murders of Dinesh alias Gabchu and Tinku Hasanpuria, key members of the rival Manjeet Mahal gang. Over the years, he was arrested multiple times but managed to secure interim bail on medical grounds.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)