Security assaulted gangster Ankit Gujjar after he slapped Tihar jail dy superintendent: Officials

Gangster Ankit Gujjar was found dead inside his cell in Tihar jail while two of his former cellmates, who were lodged in an adjacent lockup, were found injured on August 4.

Image used for representational purposes only

NEW DELHI: The initial police investigation into the death of Ankit Gujjar inside Tihar jail has found that security personnel allegedly assaulted him after the gangster slapped the deputy superintendent, officials said on Monday.

The police said they have recorded the statement of several inmates and jail employees during the probe.

"The initial investigation has revealed that the jail authority was trying to shift 29-year-old Gujjar. He was not ready to shift and allegedly slapped the deputy superintendent, following which the security personal assaulted him," a senior police officer said.

Gujjar was found dead inside his cell in Tihar jail while two of his former cellmates, who were lodged in an adjacent lockup, were found injured on August 4.

Gujjar was involved in several criminal cases, including killing a BJP leader.

Tihar officials had earlier said the three inmates were lodged in the same cell till August 3 night when they had a fight with the jail staff after a mobile phone was found from outside their cell.

The jail staff then shifted Gujjar to another cell from where his body was recovered the next morning, they had said.

Following the incident, four jail officials, including the deputy superintendent, were suspended for alleged negligence.

The Delhi Police Special Cell had arrested a 28-year-old man named Satender alias Satte who was allegedly planning to harm a senior jail official to avenge Gujjar's death.

Satte had asked his associate to procure an AK-47 rifle to eliminate Deputy Superintendent of Tihar Jail, the audio of which later went viral.

Satte was arrested on August 17 from the Outer Ring Road, and a semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore with six live cartridges was recovered from him.

In the purported audio call, the accused was heard telling his associate that possessing an AK-47 rifle would earn them more publicity and supremacy in the field of crime.

Gujjar, who belonged to Sunder Bhati gang, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida along with three others in connection with the murder of BJP leader Vijay Pandit in 2014.

Pandit was shot dead by four persons, including Gujjar, in Dabri on the night of June 7, 2014.