95 Criminal Groups Operating In Delhi: Government To Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday mooted setting up special courts for speedy trial of cases of criminals as the Delhi government referred to 95 gangster groups operating in the national capital.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said dreaded gangsters were "misusing the judicial process" and taking advantage of delay in trial to secure bail on the ground of protracted trial.

"If you keep the trial pending, then they get bail. In this country where there is no protection for witnesses, you know very well what is going to happen with those witnesses," the bench told additional solicitor general S D Sanjay, appearing for the Delhi government.

Sanjay said he along with a young deputy commissioner of police had prepared a chart on criminal activities in the national capital and found 95 gangsters groups.

The bench referred to a newspaper report, and said a "young girl of a minority community was brutally murdered" and an 'impression was given" it was case of love affair.

"Eventually it was found that the girl was a witness in a murder case. That was a premeditated and pre-planned murder only to deprive her from deposing before the court. Because she was not coming under the pressure," Justice Kant said.

"This is how the mafias are operating here," the judge added.

Sanjay said he was in talks with the prosecution department in Delhi and if a need arose, police will approach the high court for consolidating trial of all the criminal cases related to petitioner Mahesh Khatri alias Bholi, who is a gangster.

Mahesh Khatri moved the top court after being denied bail by the high court.

The bench suggested Sanjay to first identify the persons who had to be put on a speedy trial.

"You can have an estimation that one court is given five-ten cases, then how much time it will take? Then think of creating that many special courts to exclusively hold the trials of these gangsters," the bench said.

The problem, Sanjay said, was that Khatri had most cases in Rohini area, which was his "new location of operation" aside from cases in Patiala House court in New Delhi.

"If you make some effort, you will find that cases are against him in Haryana also. Not only in this Rohini area, these gangsters are spread throughout the entire belt... I have seen this in the past thirty-forty years. Entire belt of Sonepat, Panipat, Gharaunda, Bahadurgarh and going up to touching Jhajjar in Haryana. If it is NCR for you, then it is NCR for them also. Complete organised crime is going on here," Justice Kant said.

The bench subsequently passed the order saying in deference to orders dated February 3, 2025 and March 19, 2025, a proposal was made which under the active consideration of the higher authorities concerned.

The top court then allowed three weeks to the authorities to place on record an effective proposal for setting exclusive courts for speedy trial of gangsters' related cases and posted the matter on July 24.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)