NEW DELHI: The Special Cell of the Delhi Police in a joint operation with their UP counterparts nabbed the main shooter who was allegedly involved in the brazen murder of a gym owner in south Delhi last month, an official said on Thursday.
According to the official, the accused, identified as Yogesh alias Raju, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun, worked for Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba gangs. Sharing details, the officer said that they received a tip-off about the accused shooter’s movement in Mathura following which close surveillance was mounted and ultimately he was traced.
A team of the Special Cell was dispatched from Delhi who then in a joint operation with Special Task Force of the UP Police laid a trap on Agra-Mathura highway in the early hours of Thursday.
The accused, Raju, was spotted coming on a motorcycle following which the cops signalled him to stop. “On seeing the police team, he whipped out a pistol and fired five shots towards the policemen,” the officer said, adding the police team also retaliated and fired six shots, one of which hit the accused Raju on his left leg.
He was then immediately overpowered and shifted to an unknown hospital where he is currently receiving treatment for his bullet injury. “A .32 bore pistol with seven live cartridges, three empty shells, and a motorcycle without a number plate were recovered from the spot,” the officer said.
Earlier on October 13, the cops had arrested a sharpshooter, identified as Madhur alias Ayaan, a resident of Kabir Nagar, who was also involved in the case. He was caught after being injured during a police encounter that took place on Narela to Baw na road.
Notably, the 35-year-old gym owner of Afghan origin named Nadir Shah was shot dead from point blank range outside a gym on a busy road of upscale Greater Kailash in south Delhi on September 12.
The attack which was caught on a CCTV camera showed the alleged assailant walking towards his target Shah, who was talking with one person close to a parked car. Suddenly, the attacker whipped out a pistol and fired over seven rounds which hit the 35-year-old Shah, while another person who was standing beside him escaped from the spot.
While the investigation was underway, gangster Rohit Godara, an associate of Goldy Brar from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. Sensing the sensitivity of the incident, the case was transferred to Special Cell of the Delhi Police.
According to the officials, the hit was ordered by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and the task was given to gangster Hashim Baba who then arranged the shooters and also provided them logistical support.