Nagpur: One of Nagpur’s most feared names in the criminal world, Raja Gaus, was arrested again late Wednesday night along with his close aide Salim Sajid Khan alias Mamu in a sensational abduction and torture case that has once again put the spotlight on the city’s underworld and its alleged nexus with law enforcement.
The duo is accused of kidnapping and brutally torturing their former business associate Mohd Arif Ansari, allegedly over a dispute in their rice grain venture. According to police sources, the ordeal unfolded like a scene from a gangster film — Arif was forcibly taken from his home in Senapati Nagar, driven across multiple locations including a godown near Nandanvan, and subjected to inhumane torture. Reports claim the victim was assaulted, forced to eat human waste, and urinated upon — a horrific act that has sent shockwaves across the city.
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20 May 2025
The gang reportedly demanded information about another business partner, and only after a narrow escape did Arif manage to reach Wathoda police station and report the crime. A case has been registered under stringent sections including kidnapping and attempt to murder, and police say more arrests could follow.
The arrest of Gaus reopens a blood-stained chapter in Nagpur’s crime history. With a rap sheet spanning murder, extortion, jailbreaking, and attacks on police, Gaus has long been considered a mastermind of organized crime in central India. His 2015 escape from Nagpur Central Jail, orchestrated with five others including high-profile inmates like Satyendra Gupta and Bisen Singh Uikey, had exposed gaping holes in the prison security system. Notably, the jailbreak was allegedly enabled by smuggled mobile phones and corrupt prison officials.
What made that jailbreak more chilling was that it followed a gang rivalry where Sohail, a rival gangster, had allegedly attacked Gaus’s family. Despite a leg injury, Gaus reportedly bankrolled the entire escape plan from within the jail, showcasing his influence and tactical depth.
Over the years, Gaus fled to Jabalpur, evaded arrest, and continued to run operations involving robbery, assault, and intimidation. Even incarceration didn’t slow him down. In 2020, he tested positive for Covid-19 while lodged in Nagpur jail, along with another notorious don, Santosh Ambekar.
Recently, Gaus made headlines after posting photos on social media flaunting his connections with Pune-based gangster Gajanan Marne, prompting a crackdown by the Nagpur Crime Branch.
Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal has now directed a focused offensive to dismantle Gaus’s network. Officers led by Senior Inspector Harish Borade and DCP Rashmitha Rao, with Crime Branch DCP Rahul Maknikar, are preparing to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him—a move that could cripple the gangster’s operations.
With the investigation gaining momentum, more skeletons from Gaus’s criminal empire are expected to tumble out. For Nagpur, the arrest offers a brief respite, but the deeper questions—especially about past police inaction and systemic corruption—still loom large.
