Two gangsters abroad plotted attack on Congress MLA Mamman Khan: STF

Police said four suspects linked to overseas gangsters planned the hit for fame; Khan was moved under SWAT protection after threat alert.

Two gangsters hiding abroad were planning to target Congress MLA Mamman Khan for quick fame, to gain sympathy from fringe groups, and to recruit youths with extremist ideologies for their criminal network, senior officials of the Haryana Police’s Special Task Force (STF) said on Monday.

STF foiled a plot by two gangsters to target MLA Mamman Khan for ‘fame and recruitment.’ (PTI)

According to officials, four shooters working for the gangsters were assigned to conduct reconnaissance of Khan’s movements to execute the attack. The suspects were identified as Sagar Gujjar, Lalit Kumar of Shakti Nagar in Sector 11, Jagbir of Bilaspur, and Raju Kumar of Rajasthan.

STF officials said the four men were arrested nearly a fortnight ago, and a Turkish-manufactured PX5 pistol, allegedly intended to be used in the attack, was recovered from a hideout maintained by Sagar and Lalit. Khan, who represents the Firozpur Jhirka assembly constituency in Nuh, was under heightened security after the threat came to light.

A senior STF official said more arrests are likely as the investigation progresses. “The arms and ammunition suppliers to Sagar and Lalit were and few others yet to be caught,” the official said, indicating that the procurement chain remains under investigation.

During the course of arrests, STF officers learned that one of the accused possessed a foreign-made pistol, leading investigators to uncover the conspiracy to attack Khan. “The core plan was to influence and hire men with extremist ideologies who could work for the gangs without hesitation, gain sympathy from fringe groups, and for fame. With this motive, the same gangsters had tried to target stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui and carried out firing on the residence of Bollywood actress Disha Patani at Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh,” said a senior IPS officer privy to the investigation.

Officials said Khan was at his residence in Bhadas, Nuh, when STF learned about the plot to attack him. He was shifted to his Gurugram residence in a bullet-proof vehicle under the protection of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos around 1am on September 21. All four suspects allegedly involved in the reconnaissance and execution plan were arrested shortly after.

Khan, who was among the accused in the Nuh riots that broke out during the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra on July 31, 2023, continues to remain under security cover following the foiled attack plot.