Man claiming to be rope skipping champion arrested for firing gunshots

A man who claimed to have represented his school at the 2019 inter-school rope skipping championship in Dubai was arrested for firing gunshots outside a man’s house in southwest Delhi last month, police said on Monday

A man who claimed to have represented his school at the 2019 inter-school rope skipping championship in Dubai was arrested for firing gunshots outside a man’s house in southwest Delhi last month, police said on Monday.

Arrest-handcuffs.

“He was arrested with a country-made pistol and two live rounds. The motorcycle which he used to carry out the crime was also seized. He told us that he is a professional sportsman (rope skipper) and has participated in several national and international tournaments, winning several gold and silver medals. In 2019, he claimed to win a silver medal at the World Inter-school Rope Skipping Championship, held in Dubai. Due to bad company, he was attracted to the crime. A few days before the incident he quarrelled with one Nikhil. During the tussle, a man named Gautam supported Nikhil. In order to vent his ire and to terrorize Gautam, he fired at Gautam’s house,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka), Santosh Kumar Meena.

Pankaj, 22, identified only by his first name in police records, claimed to have participated in several national and international tournaments, winning medals.

The police did not mention the name of the tournaments.

Records of the tournament, available on public search engines, showed that the tournament was held in Belgium and not in Dubai. The officials said they are verifying his claims.

DCP Meena said Pankaj claimed to have won a silver medal at the 2019 world interschool rope skipping championship in Dubai.

The police were on the lookout for Pankaj for the last month after they received a call at the police control room about a firing outside a man’s house in Bhagwati Garden extension near Dwarka.

The gunman had come on a bike and fired at the iron gate outside the man’s house.

“We later came to know that the gunman was Pankaj alias Goli. He was also called Rahul Tiwari. We then launched a manhunt and activated our sources,” the officer said.

Police said that on June 8, they received a tipoff about Pankaj who was in Mohan Garden. He was arrested subsequently.