The Delhi Police Special Cell on Thursday arrested gangster Mahfooz, alias Bobby Kabootar, of the Lawrence Bishnoi–Hashim Baba gang, who had been evading capture for the past seven years, along with his long-time partner, Khushnuma Ansari, alias Neha.
During this period on the run, Khushnuma Ansari, also known as ‘Lady Don,’ allegedly helped him remain underground. Investigators say she assisted him in hiding and acted as a communication link between Bobby and other gang members.
Wanted in high-profile cases such as the 2022 killing of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala and the murder of two brothers in Delhi last year, the Delhi Police laid a trap for Kabootar in Delhi’s Mahipalpur area, intercepting his vehicle around midnight. During the operation, the police recovered firearms from the occupants and booked them under relevant sections of the Arms Act, reported news agency PTI.
Police said the arrest marks a significant development in their crackdown on the gang, particularly highlighting what officers describe as the increasing involvement of women within the network.
Operating a beauty parlour in the heart of Delhi by day, Neha played a key role in maintaining communication within the gang while Bobby was absconding. Both were arrested on Thursday, along with two other associates. Police say the parlour was merely a front to conceal Bobby’s criminal activities, including drug operations.
Police allege that Bobby had conducted reconnaissance in the Sidhu Moosewala case. He is also accused of supplying foreign-made weapons to shooters involved in firing outside actor Disha Patani’s residence.
According to the police, Kabootar was also involved in the double murder of two brothers, Fazeel and Nadeem, in northeast Delhi last year. The police further stated that around 48 rounds were fired in the incident while the victims were travelling on a scooter in the Jaffrabad area, of which 35 bullets hit the brothers, killing one on the spot and the other later in the hospital, reported PTI.
Lawrence Bishnoi had years ago joined hands with Delhi-based gangster Hashim Baba to strengthen his network in the national capital, police said.
Officials noted that the growing use of women within the Lawrence gang is a significant shift in its operational strategy.
Further investigation is underway.
– Ends
Inputs from PTI
Published By:
Nitish Singh
Published On:
Feb 20, 2026
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