The Delhi Police Special Cell on Thursday arrested Babu Wasim, an absconding firearms supplier, who allegedly supplied a pistol to Shahrukh Pathan, an accused in the north-east Delhi riots cases. Pathan had aimed the pistol at a police constable during the clashes in February 2020.
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On receiving a tip-off, the police deployed its team near the trans-Yamuna area in Delhi and other adjoining areas of western U.P., which Babu Wasim, 34, was known to frequent. A senior police officer said after four months of tracking the accused, they received information about him reaching the Tahirpur area in Dilshad Garden to meet one of his contacts on Thursday.
The police team laid a trap and around 6.15 p.m., spotted Wasim coming from Gagan cinema and moving towards Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. The police cornered and arrested him. “We are probing his involvement in the north-east Delhi riots,” said the police officer.
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The accused, who is wanted in seven criminal cases, had been absconding for more than two years and was declared a proclaimed offender by the trial court.
The police officer said Wasim, during his interrogation, admitted to having supplied firearms to several gangsters and dreaded criminals in the Delhi-NCR region during the last 10 years.
Wasim also supplied firearms and ammunition to members of the notorious Chhainu Pehlwan gang which is believed to be fighting a turf war with another notorious gang headed by one Nasir in the trans-Yamuna area, said DCP (Special Cell) Jasmeet Singh.