Delhi Police’s Special Cell, with assistance from central agencies, has arrested wanted gangster Harsimran, also known as Badal and Simran, after he was deported from Bangkok earlier this week, officials said on Saturday.
He was taken into custody on November 26 upon arrival and booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
Harsimran, 38, a resident of East Shalimar Bagh, has a long criminal record that includes cases of extortion, murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons.
Police said he fled India in January 2025 using a forged passport bearing the name “Rajesh Singh" and had been attempting to establish an overseas criminal network in collaboration with gangster Goldy Dhillon.
His arrest is the result of a months-long probe. In November 2024, Special Cell officers arrested Mahender Singh, an accused in a murder case, who disclosed that he had procured illegal weapons from Harsimran.
Investigators later learned that despite securing bail in several cases, Harsimran had been evading trial in at least 14 matters.
After fleeing via Lucknow, he travelled to Bangkok and Dubai, allegedly planning to reach Europe and the United States.
During his stay abroad, officers said he continued to threaten witnesses and tried to extort ₹50 lakh as protection money, triggering additional cases.
A coordinated operation involving Delhi Police, central agencies and the Ministry of External Affairs led to the cancellation of his passport.
With the cooperation of Thai authorities, he was traced, detained and sent back to India, where he was immediately arrested.
Police said Harsimran began as a wrestler, training in Delhi and later in Kolhapur, before gravitating toward the criminal underworld.
He initially worked with local gangs before setting up his own network involved in extortion and violent crimes across northwest Delhi.
Since 2005, he has been named in 23 cases and is listed as a “bad character" in police records.
Investigators are now scrutinising his activities abroad, particularly his alleged attempts to build an international criminal network with Dhillon, including travels through Azerbaijan, Russia and multiple European transit points before his eventual detention in Bangkok. Further inquiries are underway.
Source: News18