Sharpshooter wanted in Sidhu Moosewala killing, Jafrabad double murder arrested in Delhi

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested an alleged sharpshooter wanted in multiple murder cases including the sensational killing of two brothers in northeast Delhi last year, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Mahfooz Ali (45) alias Bobby Kabootar, was apprehended near Mahipalpur while travelling in an SUV along with two men and a woman on Tuesday night, he said.

Police sources claimed Kabootar is also wanted in connection with the 2022 killing of Punjabi singer-rapper Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab's Mansa district. He is suspected to have conducted reconnaissance of the singer's movements days before the murder.

Investigators are also probing whether firearms used in the Moosewala killing were sourced through Kabootar and his associates.

On Tuesday, a trap was laid in Mahipalpur area and the vehicle was intercepted around midnight. During the operation, firearms were allegedly recovered from the occupants, following which they were booked under relevant provisions of the Arms Act, sources said.

Kabootar was wanted in several criminal cases, including at least six murder cases, police said. Among the most prominent cases linked to him is the December 16, 2025, double murder of two brothers -- Fazeel and Nadeem -- in northeast Delhi's Jaffrabad area.

According to police sources, Kabootar was allegedly among the main shooters in the incident in which 48 rounds were fired at the victims while they were travelling on a scooter. Around 35 bullets reportedly hit the brothers. One of them died on the spot, while the other succumbed to injuries later at a hospital.

Police said Kabootar is suspected to be a key shooter linked to the Hashim Baba gang and has been allegedly involved in multiple murders related to gang rivalry and territorial disputes.

Investigators are also examining his suspected role in the September 2024 murder of gym owner Nadir Shah in Greater Kailash area.

"He may have provided logistical support to shooters in that case. Both the Moosewala and Nadir Shah murders were allegedly carried out at the behest of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, with Hashim Baba believed to be a close associate," police sources said.

Police said Kabootar got his nickname during his early twenties when he used to rear pigeons on the terrace of his house in Chauhan Bangar area of northeast Delhi. Locals used to call him 'Bobby Kabootar', a name that later figured in police records.

Kabootar had been on the Delhi Police's wanted list for nearly a decade and had managed to evade arrest despite multiple raids. He was allegedly aided by relatives and associates in the area. The narrow lanes and interconnected terraces of houses in Chauhan Bangar often helped him evade police during raids, an officer said.

Police are now verifying the criminal background of the three other persons who were travelling with him in the vehicle and further investigation is underway, police added.