What is ‘Maya gang’ run by 18-year-old, responsible for Delhi Amazon manager murder?

The arrest of an 18-year-old for the murder of an Amazon manager in New Delhi has shone the spotlight on the Maya Gang.The gang leader Mohammad Sameer, aka Maya, and one of his associates Bilal Gani, were arrested on Thursday by the police, according to several media reports.The victim, Harpreet Gill, and his uncle Govind Singh, were shot after being accosted by the gang on Tuesday night in a road rage incident.Gill was later declared dead at a hospital, while Singh is undergoing treatment.But what happened? And what do we know about the Maya gang led by the 18-year-old?Let’s take a closer look:What happened?Gill, a 36-year-old senior manager at Amazon, and his uncle were out on a motorcycle ride late Tuesday night in northeast Delhi's Bhajanpura.Bobby Singh Gill, the victim’s uncle, said it was Gill’s day off and he was out riding his bike with Singh when it was hit by another two-wheeler.“Harpreet was home on Tuesday as it was his day off. He used to take a walk after coming from the office. Around 10.45 pm, he told his mother he was going to take a walk. He was with Govind on a motorcycle. We heard that a two-wheeler hit their bike and sped away hurling abuses at them,” Bobby said.According to Moneycontrol, Gill and Singh got into a tiff with five men on scooters over giving way on the narrow street.Hindustan Times reported that the gang including Sameer and Gani had been partying at a home in Bhajanpura’s North Ghonda area before stepping out for a motorcycle ride.As per NDTV, the incident occurred around 11.30 pm.

Police officials said it was Sameer who was carrying a pistol and who pulled the trigger.

“…When Govind and Harpreet tried to get down to speak with the youngsters, Mohd Sameer (Maya) opened fire from close range and shot both Harpreet and Govind in the head,” police told the newspaper.But Bobby said Gill and Singh chased the men down a street and got into a fight with them.“When Harpreet and Govind retaliated, two persons came from behind with covered faces and fired gunshots, hitting Harpreet and Govind,” Bobby said.As per Hindustan Times, while Sameer and Gani have been arrested, their associates Sohail, 23, Mohd Junaid 23 and Adnan, 19 are absconding.Police identified the accused via CCTV footage, as per NDTV.Gill was taken to the Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital where he was pronounced dead by doctors.The bullet entered from the right side of Gill’s head behind the ear and exited from the other side, Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said.Singh, who also lives in Bhajanpura, owns an eatery in the area. He is currently admitted to the same hospital.Govind’s wife, speaking outside the GTB hospital mortuary with other family members, told the media she has no idea about who shot her husband.“My husband and Harpreet do not have any enmity with anyone. It seems to be a case of road rage,” she said.What do we know about Maya gang?Police say the gang has been operating in north Delhi for some time, as per Indiatimes.

Sameer, the gang leader, is just 18 but he already has four murder cases against him.

Sameer has an Instagram account king_maya__302 on which he has uploaded several photos of himself carrying guns.His bio reads “Naam - badnam, address - kabristan, umr - jeene ki, shauk – marne ka.”As per The Times of India, Sameer named his cohorts ‘Maya gang’ and began calling himself ‘Maya bhai’ after being impressed by the character of ‘Maya’ essayed by Vivek Oberoi in the movie Shootout at Lokhandwala.

The digits of his Instagram account, 302, are a nod to the famed Indian Penal Code Section.

According to News9, the gang comprises around a dozen members – mostly underage delinquents.The Maya gang is involved in murders, robberies and shootings in Bhajanpura neighbourhood.According to The Times of India, their ascent has caught many including the police by surprise – particularly as they have been operating in a place where many seasoned gangsters thrive.The gang has been on a robbery spree – often shooting to kill – for months.The police, for their part, had claimed that their hands were tied as the suspects were underage.Locals complain that the gang members are sent to jail but escape harsh punishment because they are under the age of 18.Sameer’s Instagram profile displays several photos of himself posing with guns.[caption id="attachment_13062872" align="alignnone" width="640"]

Sameer named his outfit 'Maya gang' after Vivek Oberoi's character in the movie Shootout at Lokhandwala. News18[/caption]As per Indiatimes, Gani lives in Bhajanpura’s Subhash Mohalla.Police told Hindustan Times that Gani, aka Mallu, had just turned 18 on 27 August.“He is educated up to 10th class. He works at a welding shop in North Ghonda, Bhajanpura. His father works as an aluminium cutter and carpenter,” the police statement said.As per NDTV, Gani was last year involved in a murder in Bhajanpura as well as a case of robbery.He was released from the Children’s Observation home as he was then a minor.‘Set to move to B’luru’Gill’s family on Wednesday said he had recently been promoted and was set to move to Bengaluru,.

According to Bobby, Harpreet left behind an ailing father, who was homebound due to health reasons.

Harpreet was unmarried, while his younger brother, a financier, is married and has a kid, he said.Amanpal Singh, a cousin of Harpreet, said he also was about to get an award from the company for his performance.“I got a call on Wednesday morning that someone had killed Harpreet. He had no enmity with anyone and had been working for the company for the last 10 to 12 years. I heard he was about to get an award for his performance in the coming months,” Amanpal said.Gill was the backbone of the family and bore all its expenses, said Amarpal, a gym trainer.Gill was the elder son of his parents, as per Moneycontrol.With inputs from agencies