Day after encounter, gangster Rohit Godara vows to avenge ‘martyred’ shooters

The alleged gangsters -- identified by police as Ravinder of Rohtak and Arun of Sonepat -- were associates of the Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar gangs.

A day after a joint operation by police from three states – Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – gunned down two gangsters in Ghaziabad who allegedly opened fire outside Bollywood actor Disha Patani’s house, fugitive Rohit Godara allegedly posted on social media vowing to avenge their deaths, calling them “martyrs” who died defending “sanatana dharma”.

Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar gang members were killed in encounter in Tronica City last night at the Ghaziabad post-mortem house.

The alleged gangsters -- identified by police as Ravinder of Rohtak and Arun of Sonepat -- were associates of the Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar gangs. They were killed in an exchange of fire with Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the Special Task Forces (STF) of Haryana and UP in Tronica City on Wednesday evening. Police said the duo opened fire first, injuring four policemen, before being felled by four to six bullets each.

The encounter came less than a week after gunmen fired outside Bollywood actor Disha Patani’s family home in Bareilly. Initially, investigators suspected an extortion attempt. But Godara’s purported post shifted the focus: the attack may have been linked to a social media video by Disha’s sister, Khushboo Patani, a retired Army major.

Last month, Khushboo had criticised a religious speaker for apparent “sexist” remarks in a video widely circulated online. Many mistakenly assumed her comments targeted a revered spiritual leader, sparking outrage, for which she later had to issue a clarification.

On September 12, assailants fired 10-12 rounds outside the Patani residence. A social media account named “Rohit Godara Goldy Brar” soon claimed responsibility, declaring, “She insulted our revered saints… The insult of our deities will not be tolerated.”

Following Wednesday’s encounter, another post, this time allegedly by Godara, surfaced: “Our brothers were not killed, they were martyred… This was not an encounter, it was the defeat of sanatana… We will avenge them. Those responsible, no matter how rich or powerful, will not be forgiven.”

Police are now probing these posts to establish whether the firing was retribution for Khushboo’s remarks rather than a conventional extortion bid.

At a Thursday press conference, Bareilly SP (City) Manush Parik revealed how investigators pieced together the shooters’ movements from over 1,320 CCTV cameras.

Ravinder had checked into Preet Palace Hotel near the Roadways bus stand on September 9, staying until September 11. CCTV footage captured him on his phone climbing the stairs. The next day, he allegedly joined the September 12 attack.

Arun, meanwhile, lodged at Hind Guest House near Shikhalapur railway station, barely 2 km from the Patani residence. Two other suspects -- Nakul and Vijay from Baghpat – remain at large, reportedly sheltering near Rampur, 50 km away.

Investigators described Ravinder and Arun, both around 25, as recent recruits “inducted” into Godara’s network. They were allegedly armed with Zigana pistols -- Turkish imports that have surfaced in some of India’s most notorious killings, including those of UP mafia don Atiq Ahmed and Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.

“Our probe shows the pistol was gifted to them for ‘big’ incidents like court firings,” a senior investigator said, adding that Ravinder had already been involved in a courtroom shootout in Haryana.