Gangster wanted for Delhi gym trainer murder case held: Police

He was jailed in various cases of snatching and robbery, and had met gangster Irfan alias Chhenu Pehalwan in jail and joined his gang

New Delhi: The crime branch of Delhi Police on Saturday said it has arrested a 32-year-old hitman of the Chhenu gang near Ajmer Sharif sufi shrine in Rajasthan, in connection with the murder case of a gym trainer, who was rained with bullets in a park in Trilokpuri area near Kalyanpuri in east Delhi on December 12. He is allegedly involved in at least 27 crimes.

A crime branch team was also working on the case and conducted raids in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to nab the suspects. On January 2, they located Sameer Sheikh and arrested him from near Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan. (Representational image)

Officers identified him as Sameer Sheikh alias Sonu Bengali, who allegedly conspired with his six aides, including a minor boy, to execute the gym trainer’s murder over a rivalry that the victim had with one of the six accused, the crime branch officials said.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Vikram Singh said that on December 12, Ravi Yadav, the gym trainer, was present in a park in Trilokpuri, when at least seven people arrived and fired eight to 10 rounds at him. He suffered bullets and died. A case of murder was registered, and multiple teams were formed to identify and nab the killers.

“The eastern range-1 team of the crime branch was also working on the case. The team members conducted raids in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to nab the suspects. On January 2, they located Sameer Sheikh and arrested him from near Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan. He was brought back to the city for further probe,” said DCP Singh.

During the interrogation, the DCP said, Sheikh disclosed that he earlier worked as a drinking water supplier in Geeta Colony market and met some bad elements with whom he consumed liquor and drugs and committed crimes.

He was jailed in various cases of snatching and robbery. He met gangster Irfan alias Chhenu Pehalwan in jail and joined his gang. In 2018, Sheikh was arrested in a murder case, and spent six years in jail.

“After coming out of jail last March, Sheikh again joined his gang members and planned the murder of the gym trainer along with his associates. Yadav had allegedly stabbed one of them some months ago. To take revenge, the gang member and Sheikh planned to kill Yadav. They shot him dead at a park in Trilokpuri on December 12,” the DCP added.