Small-time criminal, aide shoot video brandishing firearm, held

Two pistols, including the one Shahzada is seen brandishing in a 14-second video, with two cartridges were seized from them. Police said Akash, too, was carrying a pistol.

The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have arrested a small-time criminal and his accomplice who used to shoot mobile videos of themselves brandishing pistols and circulate these on social media in the hopes of getting noticed by gangsters operating out of the national capital region.

Small-time criminal, aide shoot video brandishing firearm, held

The arrested men were identified as Shahzada alias Parvez,24, and Akash alias Monu,23. One of them was previously involved in two cases – gambling and theft – whereas the other man has no criminal history. The duo love filming themselves, dancing to the songs of their favourite Punjabi pop singer. They were so inspired by the singer that they always sported his hairstyles, police said.

Police said the two had recently shot a one-minute video using a popular mobile video app and uploaded it online to grab the eyeballs of gangsters, mostly operating in southwest and outer Delhi, bordering Haryana. However, their plans failed and they landed in the police net after the special staff team from Dwarka got hold of the video and identified them.

Two pistols, including the one Shahzada is seen brandishing in a 14-second video, with two cartridges were seized from them. Police said Akash, too, was carrying a pistol.

The video was filmed by the duo’s friend while they were attending a ‘Kuan Pujan’, a social custom among Hindus to welcome the birth of a male child, at their friend’s house in Uttam Nagar on March 26, the police maintained.

“We have identified the person who shot the video on his mobile phone. Our teams are looking for him to seize the cellphone that was used to shoot the video. Shahzada and Akash have been booked under Section 25 of the Arms Act at the Mohan Garden police station on Friday,” deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said.

DCP Alphonse said the his team had been working on collecting information about criminal elements in the area under the Dwarka police. On Friday, the team was tipped off about two men who had circulated a video of them brandishing a firearm.

“We got the video and tasked our informers to identify the two suspects and also the venue where the video was shot. Our team members questioned more than 100 men in Dwarka and Uttam Nagar to nab the two from Vipin Garden,” a special staff officer, requesting anonymity, said.

Alphonse said Shahzada works at his father’s meat shop in Uttam Nagar, where Akash is also employed.

The duo had recently came in contact with some members of Saddam Gouri gang, which is into crimes such as extortion, robbery and contract killings, the police said.

“Shahzada and Akash procured weapons from their contacts and began carrying them to social functions. They brandished the firearms to impress others and to get themselves noticed by top gangsters,” the DCP said.