Tillu vs Gogi: A tale of Delhi’s two gangsters

By Ujwal Jalali

New Delhi, Jan 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) "Shackle and handcuff me every time I am produced for a hearing," said dreaded jailed gangster Kala Jatheri in a plea to the court, six days after the infamous shootout at the Rohini Court, fearing that he too might be killed on the same lines.

Such is the fear that has emerged between the rival gangs in the national capital.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested Sandeep Jatheri alias Kala Jatheri from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, nearly 200 km away from Delhi on July 30, 2021.

But even being in the police custody, the gangsters fear for their lives. The cause of this fear has been the shootout that occurred on September 24, 2021, in which Delhi's most wanted gangster Jitender Singh Mann alias 'Gogi' was shot dead inside a courtroom by two gangsters from the rival 'Tilu' gang, dressed in lawyers' garb.

The bitter strife between two rival gangs, constantly being escalated by regular bloodbaths, was the prime reason for Gogi's broad daylight murder at a local court.

Delhi has witnessed an unending bloodbath between the two rival gangs -- the Gogi gang and the Tillu Tajpuriya Gang -- in the past decade.

The 'Gogi' gang was once led by Jitender Singh Maan while the 'Tilu' gang is still run by Sunil Mann, currently incarcerated at the high-security Tihar Jail.

Both Tillu and Gogi hail from the same village on the outskirts of Delhi. Sources told IANS that both of them were childhood friends who once used to hang out together.

But how did this childhood friendship turn into a turf war that has claimed the lives of over 25 people in the past 10 years in Delhi and Haryana?

It is being said that the gang war between Sunil Maan alias Tillu and Jitender alias Gogi started during the student union elections in the year 2010 at the Sharddhanand college in Alipur, Delhi. It was the same time when both childhood friends turned foes and later on fierce rivals.

Although they themselves did not contest the elections directly yet both provided the support and muscle power to rival candidates which caused bitterness between the two, culminating in the most violent gang war in Delhi.

In one of the fierce clashes between both the gangs on June 18, 2018, in Burari, Delhi, four persons including two members of the Sunil Tillu gang and two passers-by were killed and five others got injured.

But before becoming a gangster, Gogi seemed to have a bright future ahead. He studied in a local government school at Alipur and was a budding volleyball player and an athlete. Gogi often during interrogations told police that he always wished to represent India in the international games. However, destiny had something different written for him -- a death in a witness box.

From small-time college politics and scuffles, the two friend-turned-foes gradually became Delhi's top rival gangsters.

But why was Kala Jatheri fearing for his life?

Special Cell sources told IANS that the members of the Gogi gang are being supported by the members of Kala Jathedi, Lawrence Bishnoi, Sampat Nehra, Ashok Pradhan, and Hashim Baba gangs while Sunil Mann alias Tillu's gang is presently being supported by the members of Neeraj Bawana, Sunil Rathi, Naveen alias Baali and Nasir gangs.

After the killing of Jitender alias Gogi in Rohini court, there was imminent apprehension of retaliation by his gang members but fortunately, due to back-to-back arrest of associates of both the Tillu and Gogi groups, it has been avoided so far.

Recently, Rakesh Tajpuriya, a close-aide of Tillu Tajpuriya and the main conspirator in the Rohini Court shootout case, was arrested after a brief exchange of fire.

The accused Rakesh Tajpuriya was the key conspirator and main architect in conspiring and orchestrating the killing of their fierce rival Jitender Singh as per the directions of Tillu from jail.

The Rohini Court shootout was not just an ordinary killing. It was a murder in a broad daylight in front of tens of witnesses. The 'devotion and dedication' of these small-time criminals towards their gang leaders is the main fuel that is keeping these gangs still running in Delhi.

The latest example was found after Delhi Police filed a charge sheet into the Rohini Court shootout case. It was learnt that of the two assailants that killed 'Gogi' on September 24, one was a true 'devotee' of the Tillu Tajpuria gang.

"One of them had engraved a permanent tattoo bearing the name of Tillu Tajpuria," sources told IANS. The tattoo drawn with a permanent ink read, "TILLU" on the forearm of the 23-year-old Jaideep alias Jaggu.

Even though gang culture thrives on the streets of the national capital, the Delhi Police are not leaving any stone unturned to prevent a gangwar or timely catch of the culprits.

(Ujwal Jalali can be reached at ujwal.j@ians.in)

Source: IANS