Delhi Police arrest Hashim Baba gang aide Shabir Ali near Shambhu border
The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested alleged gangster Shabir Ali, a key aide of jailed gangster Hashim Baba wanted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), near the Shambhu border in Haryana. Ali, who allegedly managed the syndicate's operations in Delhi's trans-Yamuna region, had been evading arrest since April last year before being apprehended on June 14.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi, a team from the New Delhi Range tracked down and arrested the 49-year-old suspect following intelligence inputs and technical surveillance. Police recovered a Mahindra XUV700 and a scooter from his possession.
Ali, also known as Shabir Chaudhary, is a resident of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh. Investigators state that he became a trusted lieutenant of Hashim Baba and took charge of the gang's regional operations, finances, logistics, and shooter recruitment after Baba's arrest in November 2020.
The MCOCA case against the syndicate was registered in April last year. Ali is among several accused named in the case, which also includes Hashim Baba, his wife Zoya Khan, Anwar Khan alias Chacha, and Salim Ahmed. With Ali's arrest, police have now apprehended nine accused individuals linked to the case.
Police records indicate that Ali is involved in at least 14 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, and extortion. His criminal history dates back to the mid-1990s when he was initially associated with northeast Delhi gangster Haji Afzaal. After his brother was murdered in 2008, Ali became more deeply involved in organised crime, eventually establishing links with Hashim Baba while serving time in jail.
Investigators allege that the syndicate was behind multiple high-profile killings in Delhi between July and December last year. These incidents include the fatal shooting of Afghan-origin businessman Nadir Shah outside a gym in Greater Kailash, as well as two other murder cases at GTB Hospital and in Farsh Bazar. Police noted that the latter two shootings resulted in the deaths of two unintended targets. Ali and Anwar Khan are accused of playing central roles in planning and coordinating these activities.
Additionally, police noted that Ali had previously contested the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election from the Khatauli constituency, though he was unsuccessful.
