Owner of a chain of fitness centres killed in East Delhi

According to police, three men came to Energie Gym and Spa on a motorcycle and barged into Mahendra Agarwal’s office. The men shot him and while fleeing the premises, took away the DVR of the CCTV camerainstalled in the office

Updated on: Dec 31, 2022, 04:46:47 IST

By Hemani Bhandari

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The owner of a chain of gyms in the Capital was shot dead on the premises of one of his fitness centres in east Delhi’s Preet Vihar by three unidentified assailants on Friday evening, police said.

Mahender Agarwal was shot dead by three unidentified men at his office in Delhi’s Preet Vihar on Friday. (HT Photo)

Deputy commissioner of police (east) Amrutha Guguloth identified the victim as Mahendra Agarwal, 40, the owner of Energie Gym and Spa, and added that the a case under Section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered.

A police officer aware of the matter said that the gym in Preet Vihar is located in the basement of a building on Vikas Marg, and the office is on the first floor of the same building.

“Agarwal was in his office on the first floor when three men barged into his room around 7.30pm, shot him and fled,” the officer said.

He added that Agarwal was hit in his head.

Another investigator said that while fleeing the premises, the perpetrators took away the DVR of the CCTV camerainstalled in the office.

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The officer said that according to the preliminary probe, three men came to the gym on a motorcycle and barged into Agarwal’s office. When people heard the gunshots, they rushed into the office and found Agarwal injured. They took him to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police said they were informed of the incident around the same time.

“We are scanning footage from CCTV cameras in the gym and around the area. Teams are also speaking to employees, family and relatives to ascertain if he was being threatened,” the officer said.

Police said that crime and forensic teams have also been asked to visit the spot for inspection.

“Prime facie, it appears to be a case of personal enmity. The case is being investigated from all angles,” the first investigator said.

Apart from running the chain of gyms, Agarwal also dealt in fitness equipment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hemani Bhandari
Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More