How Delhi cops caught dreaded UP gangster from IVF centre in Kolkata 5 months after he was granted parole to meet wife

According to the sources, Sohrab was looking for a doctor for the treatment of his wife at an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centre on Park Street. “A team from the Southern Range of the Special Cell camped for 15 days near Park Street to nab him as they got a tip-off about his presence in that area,” a source said.

The Delhi Police also informed their Uttar Pradesh counterparts about his arrest, a source said.

A gang of three brothers

Sohrab and his two elder brothers, Saleem and Rustom, who hail from Sadar Bazar in Lucknow, have been involved in over two dozen criminal cases across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, according to the police. The Delhi Police Special Cell arrested them in 2011 in connection with a robbery-murder case.

Recalling the “reign of terror” unleashed by the trio from Lucknow to Delhi, affecting everyone from businessmen to politicians, a senior Delhi Police officer said the brothers were known for their willingness to open fire without hesitation.

The trio was accused of murdering the nephew of former MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq in Lucknow. They also allegedly killed a social worker, Saifi, in Lucknow’s Wazirganj area. Later, they shifted their area of operation to western UP and eventually to Delhi, said the police.

In 2013, while lodged in jail, they allegedly orchestrated the killing of a municipal councillor, Pappu Pandey, in the Aminabad area of Lucknow.

Sohrab faces 30 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, robbery, and extortion. He also enjoyed the patronage of Eastern UP’s gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, officers said.

Started as teenagers

According to police records, the brothers turned to crime as teenagers. In 2005, they allegedly killed three people within 90 minutes in Lucknow’s Hussainganj, Khadra, and Madiaon areas, in retaliation for the murder of their brother. Before the killings, they allegedly called the then district police chief, daring him to stop them.

One of the most daring crimes committed by the gang in Delhi was the murder of a jewellery shop owner in East Delhi’s Krishna Nagar on February 22, 2011, as per the police records. Along with four associates, the trio allegedly carried out a robbery and shot dead the shop owner, Gaurav Gambhir, when he resisted their attempt. They then fled the scene with the stolen jewellery, as per police records.

Following a brief shootout near Vishwas Nagar in East Delhi, the three brothers were arrested. At the time, Rustom was riding a motorcycle, while Sohrab and their elder brother, Saleem, were in a car, allegedly en route to target another victim. The court later convicted them in the case.

A police officer said the brothers would often commit crimes together. They recruited unemployed youth and coerced them into joining their gang, which mainly comprised members from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, he said.

“At the time of their arrest, the brothers were among the most wanted criminals on the UP Police’s list. The Delhi Police had also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for each of them. Saleem was facing 30 criminal cases, while both his younger brothers were involved in 19 cases each,” the officer added.

Caught getting VIP treatment in custody

In 2019, Sohrab was caught along with his wife and sister in a hotel room in Lucknow, while a team of officers from the Third Battalion of the Delhi Police was escorting them to a court appearance in Kanpur.

The six-member escort, led by an assistant sub-inspector, was found resting in another hotel room while Sohrab met his family. The Delhi Police later suspended all the officers involved for “dereliction of duty”. The Lucknow Police also registered a separate FIR and arrested Sohrab in the matter.

Officers said that due to their notoriety, the trio were often produced in court via video conferencing. They also revealed that the brothers feared the UP Police would kill them in an encounter.