Delhi: Gangster found dead in Mandoli Jail, officials suspect suicide

A gangster lodged in Mandoli Jail was found dead on Friday night, with officials saying they are investigating the incident as suicide. Identified as Tyagi, a resident of Tihar village in west Delhi, he was housed in jail number 15, jail officials said. Prison staff rushed him to GTB Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. No suicide note was recovered.

According to a prison official, Tyagi faced more than 25 serious cases, including those of murder and extortion. He began with petty crimes before rising through Delhi’s underworld, first associating with gangster Neeraj Bawania and later aligning with the Naresh Sethi–Kala Jathedi–Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate.

Despite being behind bars, police said he continued running his extortion racket, with his associates carrying out violent attacks, including the 2023 firing on former Keshopur Mandi chairman Ajay Chaudhary and his brother. In 2024, he was convicted in a 2012 attempted murder case and also faced MCOCA charges in a 2019 case for allegedly being part of a criminal syndicate.