In a joint operation conducted by the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Bihar Police, four wanted criminals from Bihar were killed in an encounter in Delhi's Rohini area in the early hours of Thursday, October 23, 2025. The deceased were identified as Ranjan Pathak (25), Bimlesh Mahto (25), Manish Pathak (33), and Aman Thakur (21), all residents of Bihar's Sitamarhi district.
According to police officials, the encounter took place around 2:20 AM on Bahadur Shah Marg in Rohini. The joint police team, acting on intelligence inputs that the accused were hiding in Delhi, attempted to intercept the suspects. The criminals, who were reportedly planning to carry out criminal activities in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled next month, were traveling in a car when the police tried to stop them.
Police reports indicate that the suspects opened fire on the police team, which led to a retaliatory exchange of gunfire. "All four sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire and were immediately taken to a hospital in Rohini, where doctors declared them brought dead," the police told PTI. Sources indicate that two to three police officers sustained injuries during the encounter. Approximately 25 to 30 rounds were fired from the accused's side, while the police fired around 15 to 20 shots.
Ranjan Pathak was identified by police sources as the kingpin of the gang, wanted in connection with several cases of murder and extortion. He was allegedly running the 'Sigma Gang' in Bihar and was among the most-wanted men in the state. Police had also announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for his arrest. In the last three months, Ranjan was allegedly involved in five cases, including four for extortion-cum-murder. Police records show that Ranjan Pathak and Bimlesh Mahto faced several cases under the Arms Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while Aman Thakur was accused of killing a man named Guddu Thakur. The number of cases involving Manish Pathak is being verified. A police source stated that the accused had committed a murder in Bihar after the model code of conduct came into place for the elections on October 6.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Surender Kumar, stated at a press conference that the deceased were allegedly involved in multiple cases of extortion-cum-murder in Bihar. Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters), Bihar Police, Kundan Krishnan told The Indian Express that "They were hardened criminals involved in several cases including murder. They had been active mainly in Parihar and Sursand area of Sitamarhi. Our intelligence unit had been tracking them. We tracked them from Punjab…".
The police have recovered five pistols from their possession. A senior police officer noted that "The number plate attached to the car appeared to be fake and the car too seemed to be stolen". Delhi Police had been tracking the accused's movements for the past three days after receiving inputs from Bihar Police. Investigators are currently looking into possible links between the group and other organized criminal networks.
