New Delhi: In a significant development for Indian law enforcement agencies, wanted gangsters Himanshu Bhau and Neeraj Faridpuria have been arrested in Las Vegas, United States, on October 22. The arrests followed intelligence inputs from the Haryana Special Task Force (STF), with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) assisting in the operation.
Haryana Police are coordinating with US officials and central agencies to facilitate the duo’s return to India, where both face allegations linked to serious criminal activities, including murder and organised crime.
The arrests are expected to draw attention to investigations into criminal networks suspected of operating across India and abroad. Both men have been linked in reports to gang rivalries and violent incidents in Haryana and the Delhi-NCR region.
Himanshu Bhau among Haryana and Delhi’s most-wanted criminals
Himanshu Bhau, whose real name is Himanshu Ritoliya, is reportedly believed to have travelled using a passport bearing the name Himanshu Sigroha. He has been wanted by Haryana and Delhi Police in connection with multiple cases involving murder, extortion, kidnapping and other offences.
An Interpol notice has also been issued against him. Bhau is regarded as a rival of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and reports have associated his network with criminal groups linked to Neeraj Bawana and Naveen Bali.
Investigators have also examined alleged overseas connections involving Portugal. Authorities are expected to pursue further details about his movements and suspected associates as the process to bring him to India advances.
Faridpuria’s criminal history spans several years
Neeraj Faridpuria, who belongs to Haryana’s Palwal district, has reportedly been named in more than 25 criminal cases.
He was arrested by Haryana Police following an encounter in 2012. Three years later, a court sentenced him to life imprisonment in a murder case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court subsequently granted him bail in 2019.
Faridpuria’s name later emerged in the investigation into the murder of Congress spokesperson Vikas Chaudhary, who was shot dead in Faridabad in June 2019. He allegedly left India through Dubai and travelled to Canada following the incident.
Reports subsequently linked him to the Bambiha gang, which has been described as a rival of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He later relocated to the US and was suspected of working with the Himanshu Bhau network.
Faridpuria has also reportedly claimed responsibility for the firing incident outside YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s residence.
Delhi Police examine gang’s suspected role in shootings
The two arrests come amid investigations into several violent incidents in the Delhi-NCR region, where the Himanshu Bhau gang has been mentioned in connection with alleged criminal activities and online claims of responsibility.
Among the cases being examined is the murder of gym trainer Vijay Kumar in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar in September.
According to police, Kumar was inside a gym when some men allegedly called him outside. Two men riding a motorcycle then opened fire near Hansa Chowk in the Fatehpur Beri area at around 10 am. Approximately 15 rounds were fired during the attack.
Kumar sustained multiple bullet injuries and later died. Delhi Police registered an FIR and deployed several teams to identify and apprehend the attackers.
At the time, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal said the preliminary assessment pointed towards personal enmity as a possible motive.
A social media message subsequently attributed to Bhau claimed responsibility for the killing and issued a warning to rivals. Police have been examining the post as part of their investigation, including whether the murder was connected to a longstanding dispute between families in the village.
Ratan Lohia murder case also under scrutiny
Another case that brought the alleged gang network under scrutiny was the killing of dairy businessman Ratan Lohia, 55, near his home in Aya Nagar earlier this year.
Police sources said the attackers allegedly fired more than 60 rounds after spending hours surveying the area before carrying out the shooting.
Lohia’s family alleged that his murder was linked to a retaliatory dispute involving Rambir Lohia and his relatives following the death of Rambir’s 24-year-old son, Arun. The younger man had been shot dead near Chattarpur Metro Station earlier in the year.
Investigators also explored the possible involvement of Faridpuria in the dairy businessman’s killing. According to police sources, the suspected shooters may have travelled from Haryana and abandoned their vehicle in Faridabad.
Four alleged members of the Himanshu Bhau gang were arrested in connection with Lohia’s murder, the sources said.
The arrest of Bhau and Faridpuria in the US marks a new development in the pursuit of two men sought in multiple criminal investigations. Their return to India will depend on the applicable legal and immigration procedures, while Indian agencies continue efforts to establish their alleged roles in individual cases.
