Delhi Police arrest two Bishnoi-Rashid Cablewala gang members after Usmanpur encounter
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police's North East Delhi District Special Staff team arrested two alleged gang operatives — Wasim and Kaifi — following a late-night armed encounter at Usmanpur Yamuna Khadar on 5 October 2026. Both accused were shot in the legs during the exchange of fire and are currently hospitalised, police said. They are suspected members of the Rashid Cablewala gang, which, according to preliminary investigations, operates as an extension of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in northeast Delhi.
How the Encounter Unfolded
Acting on a tip-off about the suspects' movements, the Special Staff laid a trap in Usmanpur Yamuna Khadar, under the jurisdiction of the New Usmanpur police station. When officers signalled the two men to stop, the accused allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire at police personnel.
Officers retaliated, and both suspects sustained gunshot injuries to their legs before being overpowered and taken into custody. Notably, bullets fired by the accused struck the bulletproof jackets of two police personnel, both of whom escaped unhurt.
Background: Extortion Demand on 2 October
According to police, Wasim and Kaifi had demanded extortion money from a businessman in the Bhajanpura area on 2 October and had also fired shots in the air during that incident. A formal case was registered in connection with the extortion-and-firing episode, which directly led to the surveillance operation culminating in Sunday night's encounter.
Bishnoi Gang's Footprint in Delhi
Preliminary interrogation suggests the Rashid Cablewala gang functions as a local affiliate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, one of India's most high-profile organised crime networks. Investigators are now working to establish the full criminal histories of the two arrested men and trace their connections to other gang members operating in northeast Delhi.
This comes days after the Delhi Police Crime Branch separately arrested Ghulam Khwaja alias Ale, 30, a resident of Dabri and an active member of the Takkar gang, in connection with an attempt-to-murder case. Khwaja had previously been declared a proclaimed offender. During interrogation, he reportedly revealed the Takkar gang's activities across Dwarka, Dabri, Uttam Nagar, and adjoining areas of Haryana.
Investigation Status
Police are currently interrogating Wasim and Kaifi to map their links within the Bishnoi-Cablewala network. The back-to-back arrests — within days of each other — suggest an intensified crackdown on gang activity across Delhi's outer and northeastern zones. Further arrests are possible as investigators follow leads from the ongoing interrogations.