Gangster Venkatesh Garg to be extradited from Georgia

New Delhi: In a major breakthrough for Indian intelligence and law enforcement agencies, high-profile gangster Venkatesh Garg is being extradited from Georgia. According to sources, he could land in Delhi on Thursday.Garg is wanted in more than a dozen criminal cases in Delhi and Haryana and was allegedly running the gang from foreign soil.The extradition follows his detention in Tbilisi last year. TOI had reported on Nov 10 last year that Garg, who had a Red Notice issued against him by Interpol, was detained on the basis of inputs shared by Indian agencies. A team of cops from Delhi and Haryana reached Georgia last week to expedite the documentation and proceedings. The dossiers were already forwarded through MEA channels last year.Garg fled the country following his alleged involvement in the murder of BSP Haryana state secretary Harbilas Singh Rajjumajra in Haryana last year. On Jan 25, 2025, Rajjumajra was travelling in a car with two friends when shooters intercepted it and fired multiple shots. Haryana Police declared a reward of Rs 2 lakh on Garg after his role surfaced in the killing, prompting his escape.While hiding abroad, he was allegedly operating an extortion racket for the Kapil Sangwan gang. He also allegedly used social media platforms to recruit contract killers and shooters from Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and other states to carry out contract killings for the gang.Garg’s boss, Sangwan, belongs to the Najafgarh area of southwest Delhi and allegedly runs an organised crime syndicate from London, coordinating extortion, murder and arms-related offences, and has a history of escaping from police custody.A resident of Haryana’s Narayangarh, Garg is also alleged to be a close aide of Lawrence Bishnoi, who now runs a vast, high-profile gang with a network of hundreds of associates across India and internationally.The detention abroad is part of a drive against overseas-based criminals to dismantle international criminal networks. It also exposes a wider network, as over two dozen Indian gangsters are believed to be living in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe, running extensive extortion and smuggling rackets by hiring operatives within India.