Special Judge Gaurav Rao of the Delhi Court issued a scathing order on October 5, 2026, branding the Delhi Police's investigation report in a high-profile organised crime case as an "absolutely perfunctory and mere eyewash." The judge’s ire stems from a glaring six-year lapse where accused individuals, despite being tagged under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), remained at large and allegedly committed further heinous offences, including murder, before their eventual arrest in 2026.
The case traces back to an FIR registered in September 2020, when MCOCA was invoked against Mukesh (alias Punit) and Pardeep (alias Guri). By the time the law was applied, Mukesh was already entangled in approximately 20 FIRs, including two for murder and one for attempt to murder. Yet, the court noted a chilling pattern: between 2021 and 2024, he was named in eight additional FIRs covering murder, robbery, and kidnapping. He wasn’t arrested until February 9, 2026, by ACP Rakesh Kumar, months after the investigation was assigned to him in September 2025. Pardeep faced a similar trajectory, committing offences in 2020 and 2024 while free, finally facing arrest only on April 16, 2026.
Judge Rao took strong exception to the DCP Outer North’s claim that police had made their "best efforts." "If, according to the additional DCP, this is the best effort, then this court has nothing more to say," the judge wrote, accusing the officer of being "insensitive to the legislative intent behind the MCOCA." The court highlighted that the DCP’s report was "absolutely silent" on why Mukesh was not arrested earlier, despite the police headquarters’ own July 11, 2024, circular mandating expeditious arrests. The judge argued that allowing such accused to roam free not only defeats the purpose of the law but "sends an extremely wrong message to the society," emboldening further criminal activity.
Three other accused—Vinod (alias Sonu/Praveen/Khalifa), Pardeep (alias Anil/Salamuddin), and Vikas (alias Vicky/Pankaj)—remain at large, with the investigation still incomplete after more than six years. The judge warned that such delays damage trials, causing crucial evidence to vanish and witness memories to fade. He sent a copy of the order to the Delhi Police Commissioner, stating the matter "calls for a detailed inquiry and appropriate action against all the erring officials/investigating officers."
The court has now directed the Joint Commissioner of Police concerned to appear in person for the next hearing, accompanied by a report from the commissioner’s office. The judge expects the investigation to be concluded at the earliest, leaving no stone unturned in addressing the "lackadaisical approach" that allowed this crime syndicate to operate with impunity for half a decade.