Gurgaon: The detention of gangster Himanshu Bhau in the US could be a crucial breakthrough for Haryana Police, which is seeking to bring him back to face 58 criminal cases, most registered in the state.The Rohtak native is accused of running an organised crime network from abroad, with alleged links to killings, extortion and targeted shootings across the Rohtak-Jhajjar belt and Gurgaon.Between Jan 2024 and Aug 2026, Haryana’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested 111 alleged members of his gang.Bhau and his associate Neeraj Faridpuriya were detained by US authorities in Las Vegas on Oct 22. Haryana Police is coordinating with CBI and other central agencies to work out the legal process to bring them back, an official said.The precise process for their return is yet to be publicly clarified.Bhau’s importance to Haryana is rooted in the violence linked to his home district. In March 2022, three people were killed in five days amid a gang rivalry in Ritoli village, Rohtak. The killings included that of Rohit alias Bajrang, a relative of Bhau, and bus driver Hansraj alias Hanse.Police and local reports have linked the latter killing to Bhau’s gang. The rivalry has continued to simmer, with the killing of Goga, associated with a rival gang, in Feb 2026 adding to tensions.Police records cited in local reporting show more than 10 cases against Bhau in Rohtak alone and seven in Jhajjar. The allegations include murder, attempted murder, extortion, illegal possession of weapons and robbery. He also faces cases in other jurisdictions, and the reported overall count varies across accounts.His alleged network has also figured in high-profile incidents in the city. In Aug 2025, three men fired more than two dozen rounds outside YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s home in Sector 57. The Bhau gang claimed responsibility on Instagram, alleging Yadav promoted betting platforms. Police arrested two suspected shooters described as linked to the gang, while examining the authenticity of the online claim.In Aug 2026, police arrested seven alleged associates of Bhau and Deepak Nandal in connection with shooting incidents in Gurgaon and seized weapons and ammunition.Bhau’s criminal record dates back to 2018, when he was booked in a rioting case linked to a dispute over the liquor trade in Ritoli. In 2020, he was sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Hisar in connection with an attempted-murder case, but escaped with other inmates.Faridpuriya, a resident of Palwal and allegedly linked to the Bambiha gang, faces more than 25 criminal cases.
