A 45-year-old man was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants in north Delhi’s Bawana on Saturday, police said, adding that the involvement of fugitive gangster Himanshu Bhau and an old rivalry is suspected to be behind the killing.
The deceased was identified as Joginder alias Kala, a resident of Pooth Khurd village, who was fired upon 6-7 times outside his house around 8.15am, police said. He was rushed to Maharishi Valmiki Hospital by his family but was declared dead on arrival.
No arrests have been made so far, though police said the accused have been identified and multiple raids are underway.
According to police, the assailants arrived on a motorcycle, waylaid Joginder, and fired on him from close range before fleeing. Crime and forensic teams inspected the spot and recovered multiple empty cartridges. CCTV footage is being examined and raids are underway to trace the suspects.
Bhau, 26, has been hiding in Canada for over two years and has been involved in several cases of gang war, extortion, assault and murder in Delhi and Punjab, officials said.
Joginder’s family alleged that they had alerted police about death threats two days before the killing and had specifically named Bhau’s associate, who lives near the victim’s house and has since fled with his family. A family member claimed that written complaints were submitted but no action was taken. “Police assured us they will take action but didn’t do anything,” the family member said.
Police said they are verifying the allegations.
An investigator said it is suspected that the accused man, who has previous involvements and has been in touch with the Bawana and Bhau gangs for years, took Bhau’s help to extort and threaten the victim. “The weapons, bike and other logistics were provided by the gang,” the officer added.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests the killing stemmed from a long-running personal enmity between the two families over property, work and dominance in the area. The exact motive is yet to be established, they said.
