Slain Gurugram gangster had allegedly killed former gang leader’s wife in 2016: Police

Six teams have been formed to arrest suspects. One suspect was detained from Sidhrawali on Tuesday night on suspicion of tipping off the conspirators about Deepak’s arrival at his home

The 35-year-old gangster found shot dead inside his car near Sidhrawali on Monday had allegedly murdered the wife of his former gang leader, Ashok Rathi, on his instructions in 2016, police said on Tuesday, revealing a decade-long history of killings linked to the gang.

Commuters spotted the bullet-riddled car near Sidhrawali on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway on Monday and alerted police. (HT Photo)

Deepak, a resident of Sidhrawali, was formerly a henchman of Rathi, who operated a criminal gang in Haryana and Rajasthan. Police said Deepak had eight criminal cases registered against him in Gurugram and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan.

According to police, Deepak left home in his car after receiving a phone call late Sunday night. On Monday, commuters spotted his bullet-riddled car on the service lane of the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway near Sidhrawali and alerted police. Deepak was found shot dead in the driver’s seat, with his seat belt still fastened. Investigators found at least 10 bullet holes in the vehicle.

Police said Deepak was allegedly involved in the murder of Rathi’s wife in September 2016. Rathi, who was in jail at the time, had become embroiled in a family dispute after his wife lodged a rape complaint against his brother-in-law. Police said Rathi was enraged by the complaint and allegedly directed Deepak to kill her.

A senior police officer said Deepak had used a stolen Santro car in the murder and later drove it to the Aravallis, where he set it on fire to destroy evidence.

“However, all three were arrested soon. Even Rathi also confessed his involvement in his wife’s murder,” the officer said.

Three years later, Rathi was himself shot dead inside his house in Alipur on November 16, 2019, allegedly over a property dispute.

Police said Rathi had illegally occupied a plot in Bhondsi, leading to a dispute with three men who claimed ownership of the land. The men allegedly visited his house on the pretext of settling the dispute and shot him dead.

Following Rathi’s murder, Deepak took over the gang’s operations in Haryana and Rajasthan, police said.

Investigators now suspect that Deepak’s killing could be linked to gang rivalry or revenge.

A crime branch officer said the manner in which Deepak was shot suggested a planned attack involving multiple assailants.

“Six teams have been formed to arrest the suspects. One suspect was detained from Sidhrawali on Tuesday night on suspicion of tipping off the conspirators about Deepak’s arrival at his home. There were at least two to three shooters who had opened fire on Deepak killing him on the spot. Several suspects lodged in Bhondsi jail were quizzed for clues,” he said.

Police recovered 18 spent cartridges of 9mm ammunition from the spot. Investigators suspect that the assailants were experienced shooters, given the number of rounds fired and the manner of the attack.

Dr Deepak Mathur, who headed the medical board that conducted the autopsy on Tuesday, said Deepak had sustained 10 to 12 bullet wounds to his neck, chest, abdomen and legs.

“Three pellets were retrieved from his body. Multiple weapons were used from different directions in the killing,” he said.

Police said efforts were underway to identify and arrest the shooters.