Shooting accused has a chequered history: Cops

Om Prakash alias Bunty (29), who is one of the accused suspected to be behind the serial shootings in south Delhi in last one week, was arrested last September on charges of robbery. Police said that with more than 25 cases of heinous crimes already registered against him, Bunty wants to become a “don.”

A resident of Sangam Vihar, he started his career in crime at the age of 20. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had been hot on his trail before he allegedly committed the crimes in Amar Colony, Andrews Ganj and Madangir areas of south Delhi within one week.

On Tuesday, the police detained two more men in the case. “We have four men in our custody now. We are close to cracking the case,” said a senior police officer.

Police said in 2002, Bunty shot dead a man outside a bank in Kalkaji and robbed him of Rs 9 lakhs in broad daylight. He used a motorcycle to commit the crime in that case also.

In the same year, he attacked a policeman in Hazrat Nizamuddin area when he foiled his attempt to loot a bank. “He along with his associates had opened fire on a constable in Nizamuddin area when he tried to intercept their motorcycles,” said the officer.

In 2002 Bunty was also involved in five more incidents of robbery and murder. He was arrested and sent to jail. His prison term ended in 2005 and he soon formed a new gang. “He started his career by committing petty thefts and then became actively involved in autolifting. Now he is involved in over half dozen cases of murders and robberies,” said the officer.

The other members of his gang have been identified as Rajesh (29) Nazir (27) Sanjay (33) and Lala Ram (25).

“The accused keep deadly arms to terrorize the victims and they shoot the persons who object to their activities,” said the officer. Police said that he procures the weapon from a man named Gajendra alias Babloo.

In September 2007, the Hauz Khas police had arrested the accused when they were trying to rob a petrol pump in Vasant Kunj.

“We had intercepted them on Aruna Asaf Ali Marg with the help of special barricades. They were in a Maruti car and even fired at the policemen before fleeing away from the scene. We arrested them after chasing them for a while,” said the officer.

Police had recovered four country made revolvers, seven live cartridges and four button actuated knives from their possession.