UP Police steps up efforts to nip Kagga gang in the bud
Four teams formed to search for remaining members of the gang and others who were in touch with gang leader Arshad, who along with three accomplices, was gunned down in Shamli district on Tuesday, says DIG
LUCKNOW Pursuing UP’s zero-tolerance policy towards criminals, the state police has stepped up efforts to pre-empt the resurgence of west UP’s notorious Kagga gang, which had been a major cause of traders’ exodus from Shamli’s Kairana town between 2011 and 2014. The cops have launched a manhunt for the remaining active members of the gang, including one Bilal, suspected to be hiding in J&K for two months.
Four teams have been formed to search for the remaining members of the gang and others who were in touch with gang leader Arshad, who along with three accomplices, Manjit Dahiya, Satish Singh and Manbir, was gunned down in Shamli district’s Jhinjhina area early Tuesday, said DIG (Saharanpur range) Ajay Sahni.
Officials apprehend the resurgence of this gang for the fourth time in the past 13 years after the first gang leader Mustafa alias Kagga, who was from Saharanpur, was gunned down in a police encounter in October 2011.
UP STF (Meerut unit) ASP BK Singh said gang member Bilal, who has been elusive for two months after his involvement surfaced in the Saharanpur dacoity on November 29, 2024, is claimed to be hiding in J&K. One team will soon be sent to J&K in search of Bilal. Another dreaded member of the gang is Babar, who is also on police radar.
Another ASP rank official said the gang was first formed by Mustafa alias Kagga, a notorious criminal from Saharanpur, who was killed in a police encounter in October 2011. Kagga killed a police constable Balbir before being neutralized in the encounter under Jhijhana police station of Shamli.
“After his death, Kagga’s aide Mukim Kala took over the gang and operated for four years till he, along with his close aide Sabir Ahmad alias Sabir Jhandehi, was arrested from Gautam Buddh Nagar on October 19, 2015. The STF recovered an AK-47 assault rifle and 93 cartridges from their possession,” he said.
“After the arrest of Mukeem and Sabir, the gang was scattered and most of the members were arrested after the formation of BJP government in March 2017,” he added.
The officer said Sabir escaped from police custody in September 2017 and Mukeem Kala’s brother Wasim Kala was gunned down in police firing. “For some time, Sabir led the gang before being gunned down in a police encounter in Kairana on January 4, 2018. A police constable, Ankit Kumar, was also killed in this encounter,” he added.
He said Arshad, one of the dreaded members of the gang, was also arrested and remained in jail for around five years before being bailed out nearly eight months ago in June 2024. “Mukeem Kala and one Merajuddin were also killed in a clash with another gangster Anshu Dixit inside Chitrakoot jail on May 14, 2021. Anshu was killed by the police in an encounter inside jail when he held some other prisoners hostage,” he said.
“Subsequently, Arshad took over the reins after roping in some criminals of west UP and Haryana and started reorganizing the Kagga gang,” said the officer.
Arshad and his three other accomplices were killed in an encounter with the UP STF on the intervening night of January 20-21. Arshad had shot STF inspector Sunil Kumar thrice before being neutralized in the encounter in Shamli. The STF inspector also succumbed to bullet injuries while battling for life for nearly 36 hours in a Gurgaon hospital.
5 cops killed during encounters with Kagga gang
The gang’s first leader Mustafa alias Kagga killed constable Sachin Malik in Saharanpur’s Behat in July 2011.
Kagga killed another constable Balbir in another encounter before being neutralized in Oct 2011.
Kagga’s successor Mukeem Kala killed constable Rahul Kumar in Saharanpur in 2013.
Sabir killed constable Ankit Kumar before he was neutralised in Shamli in Jan 2018.
Kagga gang’s third leader Arshad killed STF inspector Sunil before being neutralized in Shamli on Jan 21, 2025.