Gangster shot dead on Delhi-Jaipur eway, gangwar suspected

Police said 20-25 rounds were fired at his moving Maruti Swift from two directions. He suffered at least 15 bullet injuries

Gurugram: Unidentified assailants shot dead a notorious gangster on a service lane near Sidhrawali in Bilaspur on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway on Sunday night, police said on Monday.

His body was found in the driver’s seat at 8am on Monday, with his seat belt still fastened. Commuters spotted the car and alerted the police. (HT Photo)

The victim, Deepak, 35, was from Sidhrawali. Police said 20-25 rounds were fired at his moving Maruti Swift from two directions. He suffered multiple bullet injuries.

According to police, Deepak left home between 11.30pm and 11.45pm after celebrating Diwali, following a phone call. His body was found in the driver’s seat at 8am on Monday, with his seat belt still fastened. Commuters spotted the car and alerted the police.

Police said Deepak had run the Ashok Rathi gang in Haryana and Rajasthan for seven years. Rathi was shot dead by rivals at his home in Bhondsi on November 16, 2019.

A senior police officer said the attackers fired at Deepak’s car without giving him time to react. “They also shot out the tyres, apparently to stop him from escaping,” he said. The car had at least 10 visible bullet holes, he added.

No one is known to have witnessed the shooting. Police suspect it was linked to a gang rivalry. Forensic experts recovered at least 18 empty cartridges from the scene, police added.

Inspector Sunil Kumar, station house officer of Bilaspur police station, said an FIR under Section 103(1) (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act was registered against unidentified suspects based on a complaint by Deepak’s uncle.

“Raids are being conducted to arrest the suspects. The body was yet to be handed over to the family after an autopsy,” he added.