Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jul 8: In a major breakthrough, a 34-year-old cab driver living in Mumbai was arrested for his alleged links to the notorious Neeraj Bawana gang after evading the police for nearly three years, officials said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Sonu, had been declared a proclaimed offender in a 2022 arms trafficking case. To escape arrest, he shifted base to Mumbai, took up work as a cab driver, and maintained a low-profile lifestyle, police said.

“Sonu revealed he had studied till Class 10 and joined the Neeraj Bawana gang through local contacts in Panipat,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik. He added that Sonu was involved in procuring and supplying illegal firearms and remained in contact with gang members even after relocating to Mumbai.

In September 2022, one of his associates, Sachin, was arrested with a huge cache of arms — including four pistols, two magazines, 79 live cartridges, and five barrel cleaning rods — recovered from two vehicles. Following the crackdown, Sonu managed to escape and went underground.

A local court declared him a proclaimed offender in April 2023. Since then, he lived discreetly in Madh Island, Mumbai, working as a cab driver to avoid suspicion.

On July 2, Delhi Police tracked him down and arrested him. He was produced before a magistrate in Borivali, and a transit remand was obtained to bring him back to Delhi.

Two of his accomplices, Arvind and Deepak Pakasma, are still on the run and suspected to be abroad. Sonu also has a previous case registered under the UP Excise Act in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, dating back to 2019.