The Daily PulseGeneral
Shifting Underworld Profiles: Mumbai Crime Investigations Point to Out-of-State Recruits
Reported by Manish Reddy (Senior Writer) · Indian Express - India ·
Reported by one source so far
Photo: Wikimedia CommonsRecent police investigations into high-profile shootings in Mumbai reveal a shift toward young men from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana who are recruited for individual hits. This pattern contrasts with the city's older underworld history when gunmen typically emerged from the same local neighbourhoods and criminal networks as gang leaders.
Recent Cases
The October 18 firing at actor Tiger Shroff's car in Juhu led police to arrest three men from Kota, Rajasthan, with two identified as coming from Haryana and a third from Bihar. Similar out-of-state recruitment appears in cases linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi network, including the April 2024 shooting outside actor Salman Khan's residence involving Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal from Bihar's Champaran region. The October 2024 murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique involved suspected shooters Shivkumar Gautam and Dharmaraj Kashyap from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, along with Gurmail Singh from Kaithal in Haryana. A February 2026 firing at filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence also resulted in arrests across Pune, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with a subsequent chargesheet naming 17 accused persons.
Historical Evolution
Mumbai's early underworld grew around smuggling, illicit liquor, extortion and protection rackets, with gang rivalries increasingly settled through shootings by the 1980s. Notable historical figures included Maya Dolas, Firoz Konkani and Tanya Koli, alongside historic incidents like the September 1983 killing of Amirzada Nawab Khan by David Pardesi at the Mumbai Sessions Court and the 1992 J J Hospital shootout involving Subhash Singh Thakur. Abu Salem also previously recruited young men from Uttar Pradesh for contract killings, using a model that kept shooters distant from those directing the operations. A February 2026 report noted that modern recruits with little or no criminal record are mobilised through social media and local intermediaries, posing tracking challenges for investigators.
Context
Organised crime syndicates often adapt their operational methods across decades to evade law enforcement scrutiny by sourcing operatives from outside traditional local strongholds. This evolution reflects broader changes in how criminal networks utilise digital communication tools and out-of-state intermediaries to distance leadership figures from direct execution tasks.
ExplainerWhy this matters
What Happened
Investigators examining high-profile crimes in Mumbai have found that modern criminal syndicates increasingly bypass traditional local gang structures. Instead of relying on local thugs from city neighbourhoods, gangs recruit young, often unrecorded men from distant states through digital platforms and intermediaries.
Why It Matters
This recruitment shift makes it harder for law enforcement agencies to map out criminal conspiracies and trace communications. When perpetrators have no prior criminal records and come from other states, establishing direct links between the hired hitmen and the syndicate masterminds presents a major investigative hurdle.
What Happens Next
Law enforcement agencies are expected to increase surveillance on digital communication channels and social media networks used by gangs for recruitment. Investigators will also likely push for stronger interstate police coordination to track financial flows and intermediaries operating across state borders.
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