Gangster Salman Tyagi dies by suicide in Mandoli Jail

New Delhi: Gangster Salman Tyagi was found dead in Delhi's Mandoli Jail on Friday night. Tyagi, who was lodged in jail number 15, allegedly died by suicide, officials confirmed. He was taken to GTB Hospital, accompanied by medical staff, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Jail sources claimed Tyagi, a resident of west Delhi's Tihar village, was lodged in jail in 2018 involving a murder case and had a long history of criminal activity. He went out on parole. In 2024, a Delhi court convicted him and four of his associates in a 2012 case involving attempted murder and rioting. That same year, the court ordered the framing of charges against 15 accused persons, including Tyagi, in a 2019 MCOCA case, stating that they prima facie appeared to be members of a criminal syndicate engaged in facilitating and committing organised crimes.

With more than 25 heinous cases registered against him, his criminal career began with petty crimes and escalated to murder and extortion. The gangster was known for his shifting alliances within the Delhi-NCR underworld. He was previously associated with the Neeraj Bawania gang but more recently aligned himself with the Naresh Sethi–Kala Jathedi–Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate.

According to police, despite being incarcerated, Tyagi allegedly continued operating his criminal network, extorting money from Delhi-based businessmen through threats and violence. His associates would often open fire on targets, as seen in the 2023 attack on former Keshopur Mandi chairman Ajay Chaudhary and his brother Jassa Chaudhary, which investigations revealed was orchestrated by Tyagi.