-Deepak Nandal is believed to be operating from London, said police. (Source: Express Photo)Deepak Nandal was once a producer and rapper in the Haryanvi music industry, believed to have worked with singers such as Rahul Fazilpuria and Badshah and associated with several popular Haryanvi songs.However, police claimed, his association with criminals in Haryana gradually drew him into criminal activities. What started as petty disputes involving colleagues in the music industry soon turned into extortion and shootings.Today, the 39-year-old, originally from Rohtak, is among the most-wanted gangsters operating in the National Capital Region (NCR). Police claimed he has been running an extortion network from London after fleeing India in 2024.Nandal’s name resurfaced on Thursday after four of his alleged shooters were killed and another injured in an exchange of fire with the Gurgaon Police in the city’s upscale Sushant Lok area. According to police, the men had gone to target a businessman’s residence after allegedly demanding Rs 10 crore in extortion.Nandal, who used to live in Gurgaon, is wanted by the Delhi and Haryana Police in multiple cases of extortion, attempted murder and firing incidents.According to a police officer, the first case against him was registered in 2009 in connection with an attempted murder in Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazar. He was later acquitted in that case.Last week, he allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore from a singer in Delhi, prompting the Delhi Police’s Special Cell to register an FIR.Story continues below this adAmong the most high-profile cases linked to Nandal is the attack on Fazilpuria, once a close associate in the music industry. “Because of his aggressive nature, his relationship with Fazilpuria deteriorated. He allegedly orchestrated the attack on the singer in Gurgaon in July last year,” a police officer said.According to investigators, the attack was carried out by associates of Sunil Sardania, a Rohtak resident facing multiple criminal cases and considered a close associate of Nandal. Soon after, a purported social media post surfaced claiming that Fazilpuria had borrowed Rs 5 crore from Nandal and had failed to return the money, prompting the attack.Police said Nandal allegedly masterminded the attack while operating from London. Investigators believe he fled India in July 2024 via Dubai and has since been directing criminal activities from abroad.In August 2025, his name surfaced in connection with the killing of property dealer Rohit Shaukeen in Gurgaon.Story continues below this adPolice also alleged that Nandal orchestrated firing incidents targeting businesses to enforce extortion demands.In September 2025, around 25-30 shots were fired at the office of MNR Builders in Gurgaon’s Sector 45. Nandal allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack through a social media post.On October 29 the same year, his associates allegedly fired 55-60 rounds at the office of Unisys Info Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in Alpha City, Karnal. A case was registered at Sadar Police Station, Karnal, under Sections 109(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 25 of the Arms Act.Apart from these incidents, Nandal has been named in at least three other cases of attempted murder and extortion in Gurgaon over the past year.Story continues below this adIn 2019, Nandal made headlines after a video allegedly showing him assaulting social media influencer Deepak Kalal went viral. The assault was reportedly triggered by a video posted by Kalal that Nandal considered to be in poor taste.Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana. Education - Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020) - B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019) Professional Experience Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features. Reporting Interests His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon. Recent Coverage (2025) - Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025). - Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025). - Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025). - Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram. - Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025). - Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025). 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