Bishnoi Rival Himanshu Bhau Detained in Las Vegas After Four-Year Manhuntਬਿਸ਼ਨੋਈ ਦਾ ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਹਿਮਾਂਸ਼ੂ ਭਾਊ ਲਾਸ ਵੇਗਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਿਰਾਸਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਿਆ ਗਿਆ

Himanshu Bhau, one of north India's most wanted gangsters and a rival of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has been detained in the United States after a manhunt that began in 2022, The Times of India and NDTV reported on Saturday. Bhau, whose real name is Himanshu Ritoliya, was apprehended in Las Vegas, Nevada, following inputs from Indian agencies, in an operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US immigration authorities. His associate Neeraj Kaushik, known as Neeraj Faridpuria, was detained with him.

Held in Nevada, return being worked out

Reports said the two men are being held at the Henderson Detention Center in Henderson, Nevada, under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after their detention on October 22. The Haryana Police Special Task Force, which supplied key inputs, is coordinating with American authorities and Indian central agencies to bring them back. Officials are weighing deportation against formal extradition, a choice that will depend on the immigration proceedings and the legal grounds of the detention in the US.

Why Punjab watches this gang war

Bhau's alleged syndicate operated across Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Punjab, and investigators describe his network as aligned with the Neeraj Bawana and Naveen Bali gangs against the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar network. That rivalry has driven a long run of shootings and extortion threats against traders and builders across the region, including in Punjab, where Bishnoi-linked extortion has been a recurring police concern. A return of Bhau to Indian custody would put one side of that feud in prison while the other side's leaders are already behind bars.

A fugitive since his teens

Bhau, 24, comes from Ritoli village in Haryana's Rohtak district. Investigators say he first entered police records in 2020 after a botched killing attempt in his village, when he was still a minor, and escaped soon after from a juvenile observation home in Hisar. In March 2022, police linked him to three killings in his home district within 24 days. The same year he fled India on a passport obtained with fraudulent documents, travelling first to Dubai and then to Portugal, from where he allegedly directed his syndicate through encrypted messaging apps. He is suspected of reaching the US through the illegal dunkey route in late 2024 or early 2025.

The cases against him

Interpol issued a Red Notice against Bhau in August 2023, and he has been on the wanted lists of the National Investigation Agency, Delhi Police and Haryana Police, with cash rewards totalling more than Rs 5 lakh announced by the Centre, Haryana and Delhi. Police have linked his syndicate to the killing of a rival inside a Burger King outlet in west Delhi's Rajouri Garden, firing outside YouTuber Elvish Yadav's residence, and shooting attacks on car showrooms in Naraina and Tilak Nagar alongside multi-crore extortion demands on builders, developers and traders. The charges he faces in India include murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, extortion, forgery and criminal conspiracy. The allegations are yet to be tried in court.

Who is Himanshu Bhau?

Himanshu Bhau, real name Himanshu Ritoliya, is a 24-year-old fugitive gangster from Ritoli village in Rohtak, Haryana, described by police as a rival of Lawrence Bishnoi and an ally of the Neeraj Bawana gang.

Where was Himanshu Bhau detained?

He was detained in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 22 and is reported to be held at the Henderson Detention Center under US immigration custody, along with his associate Neeraj Faridpuria.

How will India bring him back?

The Haryana STF and central agencies are coordinating with US authorities. Reports say deportation and formal extradition are both being explored, depending on the US immigration proceedings.