Robbery bid linked to Bawana businessman murder, 5 arrested

Police arrested five suspects in the murder of businessman Vaibhav Gandhi, revealing it was a robbery attempt linked to gangsters.

Six days after a 35-year-old businessman was chased and shot dead allegedly by at least three bike-borne assailants near his factory, police on Sunday said they had solved the case with the arrest of five people. Their interrogation revealed that the murder took place during a robbery attempt.

Robbery bid linked to Bawana businessman murder, 5 arrested

One of the accused was arrested following a brief exchange of fire with a police team in the Bawana area late Saturday night, police said, adding that he was shot at his leg.

The businessman, Vaibhav Gandhi, ran a plastic granules manufacturing factory in the Bawana industrial area of outer Delhi.

However, foreign-based fugitive gangsters Randeep Malik and Anil Pandit took responsibility for the murder on a social media post, saying he was interfering in their activities, said special commissioner of police (law and order, zone-1) Ravinder Singh Yadav.

“Investigation points towards the role of the gangsters’ behind the murder. However, some people involved are still absconding. Their arrest can link Gandhi’s murder with the gangsters’ groups. As of now, our probe suggests the robbery angle,” said Yadav.

On February 9, at around 11.45 am, firing took place in front of two factories in Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC), Bawana sector-4. The attackers took three bags, containing diaries, laptop, and phone of the businessman. A case of murder, robbery and firing was registered at the Bawana police station, said deputy commissioner of police (outer-north), Hareshwar Swami.

Investigators scanned nearly 1,000 CCTV cameras. They learnt that one of the accused, Ravi alias Ravinder, who previously worked as a driver with another businessman, had visited Gandhi’s office multiple times for financial transactions. Ravi informed Sanjay alias Tau, who has previously been involved in 60 crimes in Delhi and UP, that Gandhi carries cash in his car.

“Sanjay conspired with Arun and Sandeep Pujari to rob the businessman.They conducted reconnaissance areas around Gandhi’s office three times in January and February. On February 9, they fired two rounds at Gandhi when he tried to run with his vehicle key. The assailants then fled with the bags kept in his car,” added Swami.

Investigators first arrested Sanjay and Ravi from outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri and their interrogation led to the arrest of Pujari and another conspirator, Harsih Kumar. On Saturday night, around 11.30 pm, the raiding team spotted the fifth accused, Arun, riding a motorcycle without number plates.

“The personnel asked Arun to surrender. However, he fired two rounds in a bid to escape. Our team retaliated and a bullet hit Arun’s leg. He was arrested and one pistol and the stolen motorcycle were recovered from him,” added the DCP.