Crime syndicate leader free for 6 years, Delhi judge calls police’s ‘best efforts’ a ‘mockery’

More than six years ago, Delhi Police invoked one of the toughest laws at their disposal against an alleged leader of a crime syndicate who was named in at least two cases of murder at the time. When police finally arrested him in February this year, another eight cases had been registered against him.

This week, a Delhi court expressed exasperation at the delay in the investigation – and rejected the police’s claim that they had made their “best efforts”.

“If according to (the) Addl. DCP this is the best effort, then this court has nothing to say,” Special MCOCA Judge Gaurav Rao of Rouse Avenue Court said in his order passed on Monday (October 5).

The court pulled up all the officers who have investigated the case for the last six years, and ordered an inquiry into the delay in the investigation.

Three Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police – Lokeshwaran, Ravinandan BM, and Rishi Kumar – and the Investigating Officers (IOs), Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) Rakesh Kumar, SK Gaur, and Vipin Kumar (Retd) were present in court.

The fourth IO in the case, ACP Vivek Bhagat, was not present physically. Earlier in the day, ACP Bhagat and 11 other officers had been promoted as Addl DCPs. However, in view of an ongoing inquiry on an allegation of sexual harassment against Bhagat, the promotion was put in abeyance late on Monday evening.

Judge Gaurav Rao was perusing a report submitted by police on their investigation against Mukesh, an alleged leader of a crime syndicate operating from Outer Delhi’s Narela. Police had booked him under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) in September 2020.

Story continues below this ad

Mukesh was accused in 20 FIRs at the time, including two cases of murder, one case of attempted murder, and cases of robbery and dacoity. By the time he was arrested in February 2026, he had been named in another eight cases, including cases of murder, robbery, and kidnapping.

Mukesh allegedly had close links with the gang led by the notorious Jitender Mann alias Gogi, who was once one of Delhi’s most feared gangsters. Gogi was shot dead inside Rohini Court in September 2021.

“The report [submitted by police] failed to address the query by this court, and though the lapses as well as the considerable delay in the investigation is writ large from the record, still the Addl DCP, Outer North District, said ‘the police officials have made best efforts in the present case and are still making their best efforts’… If according to (the) Addl. DCP this is the best effort, then this court has nothing to say,” the judge said.

“Perhaps the Addl. DCP is insensitive to the legislative intent behind MCOCA. MCOCA was enacted to put (a) halt to the menace of organized crime which posed/ poses a serious threat to civil society… However, if despite invoking the strongest provisions of MCOCA, the accused persons are allowed to roam free, commit heinous offences, including murder as per their whims and fancies, then…[it] defeats the legislative intent behind the…statute,” he added.

Story continues below this ad

The court had asked the DCP, Outer North District to file a report listing the cases against the accused, who were allegedly part of the syndicate. It had also sought an explanation as to why arrests were not made in the case. The Additional DCPs had appeared in court on behalf of the DCP.

“The claims of ‘Best Efforts’ of (the) Addl. DCP is nothing short of mockery,” the judge said. “In fact, in his report, the DCP, Outer North District, made (a) reference to a circular dated 11.07.2024 issued (by) the Police Headquarters…for expeditious investigation and timely arrest of accused persons… Yet (in the) 6 years during which the accused persons were not arrested, investigation qua them (was) not completed, (and) the same gave the accused persons more time and opportunity to commit more crimes,” he added.

“It seems that the Addl. DCP feels/ opines that he is not answerable to either the court or the general public who have all this while borne the brunt of the criminal activities of the crime syndicate,” the court said.

The court also mentioned an accused named Pradeep, who is alleged to be involved in a large number of cases including murder and robbery. “Yet he (Pradeep) was arrested only on 16.4.2026. Hence, just like accused Mukesh, the said accused kept indulging in criminal activities even after invoking MCOCA,” the judge noted in his order.

Story continues below this ad

The court described the report of the DCP as an “eyewash”, and directed that a detailed inquiry and appropriate action be taken against all erring officials and IOs for the delay in the investigation, and “for not working in sync with the intent of the statute (MCOCA), which permitted more crimes to happen”.

He directed a copy of the order be sent to the Commissioner of Delhi Police.

In an earlier order dated September 18, the judge had said: “MCOCA was invoked in September 2020 and accused persons were arrested only in February 2026… It emerges from the record that (the) accused persons continued to be involved in other criminal activities during this period of around 5 and ½ years… One of the purposes of invoking MCOCA is to curb organized crime, however, if the accused persons, despite invoking MCOCA keep roaming free, are not arrested for the period of 6 years and most importantly keep indulging in criminal activities then the entire rational behind invoking MCOCA gets frustrated, is rendered futile.”

Mukesh has a criminal record going back more than a decade, and is suspected of heading a syndicate involved in murder, attempt to murder, robbery, extortion, Arms Act offences, and criminal conspiracy in parts of Delhi and Haryana.

Story continues below this ad

He first came on the radar of police in 2012 and was soon seen as a habitual offender. Cases have been registered against him at several police stations, including Narela, Alipur, Swaroop Nagar, Bawana, Kanjhawala, Samaipur Badli, and Shahbad Dairy in Delhi, and in Jhajjar and Rewari in Haryana.