Two days after shooting at family gathering in Manesar, 4 teams formed to trace suspects

Police have identified Yogender, alias Rinku, the kingpin of a rival gang, as the mastermind and one of the attackers in the shooting. Crime investigation units were also looking for suspects at different locations identified using technical and human intelligence

Gurugram: Two days after two people were killed and four others were severely injured in a shooting at a family gathering in Manesar’s Kasan village, police on Saturday said that they have formed four teams from IMT Manesar police station to trace the group of 10 people from a rival gang allegedly behind the attack.

Police said some of the suspects were masked and could not be identified but four of them were regular visitors of that area. (Picture for representation only)

Police have identified Yogender, alias Rinku, the kingpin of a rival gang, as the mastermind and one of the attackers involved in the shooting. Crime investigation units were also looking for suspects at different locations identified using technical and human intelligence.

Police said the incident took place at the residence of a former sarpanch (village head), identified as Gopal, around 8pm on Thursday, when his extended family was visiting them on the occasion of Diwali. A pet dog owned by the family was also shot at in the firing.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said some of the suspects were masked and could not be identified but four of them were regular visitors of that area. “We are also scanning the call details of the suspects and are checking CCTV footage from different locations. Our teams have recovered some crucial leads and we are hoping to arrest them at the earliest,” he said.

Sangwan said the incident was captured in the CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the house but as the family members could not remember the system password, it was taking time to retrieve the footage.

Police claimed that the two groups were allies in criminal activities before their relations soured in 2007, when Gopal’s sons, Balram and Sohanpal, allegedly murdered Rinku’s brother Manoj.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that over the years, the two groups were involved in a fight to establish supremacy in the area.

“Balram and Sohanpal shot dead Manoj in 2007 while they were out on bail and since then Rinku was waiting to take revenge. On Thursday night, when all the family members were busy, Rinku and his associates barged into the house and shot indiscriminately at the six members,” he said.

Police believe the suspects may have fled to Rajasthan.