FBI arrests India's most wanted gangster Himanshu Bhau, New Delhi to seek extradition
Haryana gangster Himanshu Bhau, one of India’s most-wanted fugitives, has reportedly been arrested in the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to information available to India Today.
Bhau is wanted in several criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder and extortion, registered in Delhi and Haryana.
His real name is Himanshu Ritoliya, and he belongs to Ritoli village in Haryana’s Rohtak district. He is accused of running a criminal network across Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Punjab while staying abroad.
An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him in August 2023 at the request of Indian law enforcement agencies. He is also wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Delhi Police and Haryana Police.
Who is Himanshu Bhau
Born in 2002, Bhau is considered one of the youngest gangsters to emerge from Haryana’s organised crime network. According to police, he allegedly entered the criminal world as a teenager and escaped from a juvenile correctional facility in 2020 along with other inmates.
He has been linked to several cases involving murder, attempted murder, extortion, illegal weapons and criminal conspiracy. Investigators allege that he continued to run his network from abroad while coordinating with associates in India.
Reports have linked Bhau to the Neeraj Bawana gang and described a violent rivalry between his alleged network and the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang.
Investigators have also linked Bhau and his alleged associates to several high-profile shootings and murder cases in Delhi and Haryana. These include a killing at a Burger King outlet in Delhi, firing outside YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s residence and other targeted attacks.
The gang has also been accused of threatening businesspeople and carrying out shootings to demand extortion money.
Bhau came under police scrutiny in 2022 after three murders were reported in Haryana within 24 hours. Investigators alleged that members of his network carried out attacks using armed associates.
More recently, members of the alleged gang were investigated in connection with the murder of a property dealer in outer Delhi. In September 2026, Delhi Police arrested two alleged shooters after an encounter and detained a juvenile accomplice in the case.
Interpol red notice
Interpol issued a Red Notice against Bhau in August 2023 after he was declared wanted in several criminal cases. At the time, police said he was wanted in 18 cases involving murder, attempted murder, extortion, criminal intimidation and forgery.
An Interpol Red Notice asks law enforcement agencies worldwide to help locate a wanted person and may seek their provisional arrest while extradition or other legal proceedings are considered. However, it is not an international arrest warrant.
If the reported arrest in the United States is confirmed, it could be an important development in Indian agencies’ efforts to bring Bhau back to face the cases registered against him.
His return to India would depend on the applicable legal procedures and extradition process.
- PTC NEWS
