Delhi: Firing in busy Kishangarh market leaves SUV driver critically injured

Police suspect that the attempted killing was the fallout of a 17-year long rivalry between two local families

In an incident of shooting on Monday afternoon, at least four unidentified men opened fire at a Fortuner SUV in the busy market of Kishangarh, south Delhi, critically injuring its 26-year-old driver and triggering panic among residents and shopkeepers. Police suspect that the attempted killing was the fallout of a 17-year long rivalry between two local families.

According to police, there were three occupants in the car when the firing took place around 1pm on Monday. (Picture for representation only)

According to police, there were three occupants in the car when the firing took place around 1pm — Somraj alias Dhami Pehalwan was seated in the front passenger seat, while Shafiq alias Lucky drove the vehicle. Dhami’s personal security officer Krishan was seated in the rear, police said.

While Dhami and his PSO escaped unhurt, Shafiq suffered gunshot wounds to the head and hand. He was admitted to a private hospital in Vasant Kunj, where his condition is stated to be critical, police said.

The three were returning from the Patiala House courts after attending a hearing related to a murder that took place last year, in which Dhami and his brothers were the accused. “Dhami in his statement said one Harender Maan and his relatives are behind the attack. Harender is the brother of Ashok Maan, whose murder Dhami and his brothers stand accused of. A case of attempt to murder and firing has been registered at the Kishangarh police station. We are probing all angles,” said deputy commissioner of police (south-west) Gaurav Sharma.

“As the bullet hit the SUV driver, he lost control of the vehicle and it crashed into a shop nearby. The attackers fled in the ensuing chaos,” the officer said, asking not to be named.

The officer said Dhami’s family had a rivalry with Maan’s family spanning nearly 17 years and it started over the business of running Blue Line buses, which were phased out in 2012.

“Both families live near each other in Kishangarh. In 2004, Ashok Maan acquired some Blue Line buses and entered the transport business, impacting the transport business of Dharamveer and his brothers Devender Pehalwan and Dhami. That triggered the enmity. After the phasing out of Blue Line buses, both families got into the real estate business and continued their enmity. Their rivalry worsened in 2019, when a member of Dharamveer’s family was shot at and they suspected the role of Maans,” the officer said.

On February 11, 2020, Ashok, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteer, was shot dead and his brother Harender was injured after a few assailants opened fire during the victory procession of elected AAP legislator Naresh Yadav in Kishangarh. The Maans accused Dharamveer and his brothers and they were arrested for murder, the police said.

“Prime facie, we are not ruling out the longstanding rivalry angle behind Monday’s firing,” added the officer quoted above.

Of late, the city has witnessed a rash of gang war related killings. Last month, gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi was shot dead in a courtroom at the Rohini courts by two assailants dressed as lawyers, before they were gunned down by the police. Gogi’s arch rival and jailed gangster, Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya, is among the five suspects arrested in that case so far.

Within a week after Gogi’s murder, a member of jailed gangster Manjeet Mahal’s gang was shot dead in Najafgarh, allegedly by four hitmen of the rival gang led by Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, who is currently operating from abroad, according to police sources.