‘Hope police’s visits reduce’: Some relief, little surprise in Gogi’s village

Gogi’s relatives and friends said he ‘surrendered’ last year with the sole aim to escape being killed in a police encounter

When the family of alleged gangster Jitender Maan, alias Gogi, heard the news of him being gunned down in the Rohini court on Friday noon, it was the culmination of their fears over several months when they believed that rival gangs were “conspiring” with the police and jail authorities to eliminate him.

Outside Gogi’s home in outer Delhi’s Alipur village. (HT Photo)

On Friday evening, as around 15 of Gogi’s relatives and friends sat on charpoys and plastic chairs in a dark courtyard at Gogi’s home in outer Delhi’s Alipur village, they refused to believe that Friday’s attack was purely the handiwork of a gang, allegations that officials called baseless.

“No one will believe that such a big gangster could be killed inside a courtroom under such high security without any cooperation from authorities,” said Gogi’s cousin, Ravinder Maan.

Maan and others in that courtyard said that Gogi “surrendered” last year with the sole aim to escape being killed in a police encounter. “He thought the jail was safest for a person like him,” said Maan.

The family said that he was moved from Tihar Jail number eight to jail two around five months ago to “snap his ties” with his associates lodged in the same jail.

His family said they were also disappointed he was produced for court hearings in person, instead of over video-conferencing.

Sandeep Goel, director general of Delhi prisons, called the allegations baseless.

“He was kept in a high-security ward. We keep changing inmates’ jails, especially high-risk prisoners. Court productions, whether physical or by video-conferencing are according to production orders,” said Goel.

Gogi’s family said the last relative to meet him was his mother, who visited him in Tihar on September 2. “He did not express any concerns about his safety to his mother. She gave him R7,000 to manage his expenses in jail,” said a third relative.

Gogi’s family alleged that the police had a reason to get him killed.

“They worried that he would seek revenge for Fajja’s encounter,” said Maan about Gogi’s associate Kuldeep Maan alias Fajja who escaped from police custody in March before he was killed in an encounter days later.

A senior police officer, who asked not to be named, outrightly denied that the Delhi Police had any role in Gogi’s killing. “Such allegations are usual after criminals are killed, but there is no truth to it,” said the officer.

In Alipur village, locals avoided venturing around Gogi’s home.

But for the small gathering in the courtyard, the lanes around were largely deserted and there was little to suggest it was Gogi’s home. “There are just a dozen people at a gangster’s home on the day he died. No one wants to be associated with us or be seen around us,” said the third relative.

The word about his killing, however, spread across the village. “Hopefully the police’s visits to this village will reduce now,” said a village resident who asked not to be named.

His family said that they always believed that luck was on Gogi’s side and that he would beat death.

“Gogi’s gang is over. His death shows no one can take on the authorities,” said Maan even as neither he, nor others in the little gathering, made any attempts to portray him as innocent of the charges against him.

Gogi’s family said they were vulnerable to attacks from rival gangs now, but insisted that no retaliation should be expected from his gang.

“No one is left to take revenge,” Maan said