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Jammu gangster gunned down outside mall in Mohali
Jammu gangster Rajesh Dogra, 45, was gunned down outside a Mohali mall. Police suspect gang rivalry. Second gang-related shooting in a week in the city.
A gangster from Jammu, Rajesh Dogra, 45, was gunned down by five unidentified persons outside a mall in Sector 67, on the busy Airport Road in Mohali, on Monday afternoon. Police said the murder appears to be the fallout of a gang war.
This is the second firing incident, involving gangsters, in the city in a week. On February 29, men owing allegiance to the Lucky Patial gang had opened fire outside an eatery in Sector 79. Punjabi lyricist and music composer Bunty Bains seems to have been the target of this attack.
In Monday’s incident, footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras from the mall revealed that the attack took place shortly after Dogra had reached the spot in a Mahindra Scorpio car, bearing a Jammu number. The assailants, who came in two cars -- a Hyundai Creta (JK02CC0019) and a black Toyota Innova with a Chandigarh number, seemed to have been waiting for him. As soon as Dogra stepped out his vehicle and started walking towards the mall with his two accomplices, the attackers opened indiscriminate fire at him, killing him on the spot.
Police have recovered 19 bullet shells from the spot.
Sources said that three illegal pistols – a .30 bore, a .45 bore and a .32 bore, seemed to have been used in the crime. The assailants fled the scene soon after the attack.
Police have detained the two men who were with Dogra at the time of the attack. “Both the accomplices have multiple cases registered against them and we are checking their involvement in this murder,” said a senior police officer, adding that Dogra had shared his live location with one of his associates.
Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Garg said the victim had died on the spot and was identified with the help of his Aadhar card. “The murder seems to be a fallout of gang rivalry. We have got vital leads on the assailants and will nab them soon. We will interrogate the two men who were with him at the time of the attack to ascertain the reason behind the crime. The shooters came in two cars -- one having a Jammu number and the other having a Chandigarh number plate,” said the SSP.
Dogra had recently come out of jail
During preliminary investigation, it was found that Dogra, who faced multiple cases, including three of murder, had recently come out of jail. He was also a prime accused in the murder of underworld don Sanjay Gupta alias Bakra in 2006 and had served a 13-year sentence in this case.
The other cases against him include that of attempt-to-murder, Arms Act, and Public Safety Act (PSA).
Was going to Delhi to avoid detention
Sources said that Dogra was heading to New Delhi fearing detention by the Jammu police in wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“The Jammu police would have detained him as a precautionary measure ahead of elections. Thus, he was going to Delhi and had informed his accomplices in Mohali regarding his plans on Sunday. One of his accomplices is suspected to have tipped-off the rival gang members about his movement,” said an investigator, adding that the killers took a U-turn after the attack and eventually escaped towards IISER side. The five assailants have been booked under Sections 302 (murder), 148 (rioting) 149 (unlawful assembly) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Arms Act at Phase-11 police station.
After finding that one of the cars in which the accused came bore a Jammu registration number, all station house officers in Mohali were directed to conduct checks at the hotels in their respective areas to ascertain if the assailants had used it as a hideout.
