Gurugram, Oct 25 Himanshu ‘Bhau’, a notorious gangster from Haryana’s Rohtak, and the kingpin of a global criminal syndicate allegedly involved in murder, extortion and targeted shootings, faces a total of 64 criminal cases — most of them registered in his native state, while various Indian and international law enforcement agencies, too, have brought serious charges against him.
Himanshu, who earned the almost reverential sobriquet ‘Bhau’ (Big Brother) as the ‘shot-caller’ of a criminal empire with footprints worldwide, was detained recently by US authorities and is currently in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He was initially detained for misrepresentation of facts after entering the US using a forged identity. Haryana Police had flagged the discrepancy to US authorities, and is currently coordinating with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to finalise modalities for his deportation to India, officials said on Saturday.
The real name of 23-year-old ganglord, originally from Ritauli village in Rohtak district, is Himanshu Ritauliya.
According to officials, he is facing 64 criminal cases under sections of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and criminal intimidation — most of them registered in Haryana.
The ‘foot soldiers’ of the Bhau’s criminal empire are largely based in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana — carrying out targeted killings and extortion at his command — while he operated the network from abroad.
Himanshu’s journey into the world of crime began when he was only 17.
In 2019, when he was still pursuing his studies, he opened fire in a vegetable market in Rohtak as part of an extortion bid, leading to his arrest.
Still a minor, he was sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Hisar, from where he escaped along with 17 other inmates by breaking a wall. He was never caught by police thereafter.
Later, he became embroiled in a bitter enmity with Ankit alias ‘Baba’ — a childhood friend from his village — after Hansraj alias Hanse, a member of Baba’s gang, purchased a private bus.
In a bid to establish dominance in the village, the Baba gang allegedly murdered Himanshu’s cousin, Rohit alias Bajrang. In a bid to avenge the killing, Himanshu allegedly murdered Hansraj five days later.
As the enmity escalated, Himanshu relocated first to Jhajjar and subsequently to Delhi.
It was here that he crossed paths with the gangster Neeraj Bawana, who inducted him into his hang. He went on threaten several businessmen to extort money, before gaining enough clout to form his own gang.
In 2022, Himanshu managed to flee India using a forged passport. He first traveled to Portugal and subsequently reached the United States.
From there, he allegedly began recruiting shooters into his gang and orchestrating criminal activities in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana, among other places. Himanshu remained in contact with his associates through social media and encrypted digital channels, while his handlers were based at several locations around the world, including US, Canada, Europe, and the UAE.
Himanshu is said to have close ties with the Neeraj Bawana and Bambiha gangs, but harbours a bitter enmity towards the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs.
In 2023, the Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice against him.
Among his most notorious exploits is the murder of a rival named Aman Joon inside a Burger King outlet in West Delhi’s Rajouri Garden in June 2024.
The Himanshu Bhau gang also claimed responsibility for the 2025 shooting outside YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s residence in Gurugram.
Few months ago, gym trainer Vijay Kumar was shot dead in Delhi’s Ayanagar. Subsequently, the Himanshu Bhau gang claimed responsibility for the killing on social media.
Haryana Police had announced a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh, and Delhi Police a reward of Rs 1 lakh, for inputs on Himanshu’s whereabouts.
Since 2019, a total of 28 gangsters have been deported or extradited from foreign countries, while 14 others remain in custody abroad and proceedings are underway for their deportation to India, Haryana Police said, asserting that it is continuously taking action against gangsters operating from abroad. Action is also being taken to dismantle their local networks, arms suppliers and financial channels, it added.
(PTI News)
