DEHRADUN: Police have dismantled the conspiracy behind the cold-blooded murder of Jharkhand-based gangster Vikram Sharma in a breakthrough that underscores the rising trend of interstate gang rivalry.
Investigations have revealed that the Sharma's attackers tracked their target in Jamshedpur, Noida, and Uttarakhand, and finally killed him outside a posh gym in Dehradun.
The plot to eliminate the gangster, a figure of significant influence in Jamshedpur, was not an overnight decision.
"The assailants initially attempted to target Sharma in Jamshedpur and Noida," a senior police official stated. "However, his heavy security detail of 10-15 armed men in Jharkhand made him an impossible target. In Noida, the lack of precise intelligence on his movements provided him a temporary lease of life."
The breakthrough for the killers came through Ankit, a seasoned scout from Jamshedpur known for conducting 'recces' for various syndicates. To track Sharma's routine in Uttarakhand, the conspirators rented a flat for Ankit in Noida at a monthly rent of Rs 26000.
From there, Ankit made frequent trips to Dehradun, eventually discovering that Sharma frequented the gym at Silver City Mall. To gain proximity, Ankit secured a gym membership and monitored Sharma's workout patterns for three months.
On February 12, two shooters—Ashutosh and Vishal—were stationed in Haridwar. The following day, as Sharma entered the gym for his 90-minute session, Ankit alerted the gunmen. The timing was calculated; the travel time from Haridwar matched Sharma's workout duration.
"As Sharma stepped out of the gym and began descending the stairs, Ashutosh and Vishal, who were lying in wait, opened fire at point-blank range, targeting his head," the police report confirmed.
'Unholy alliance'
The investigation took a startling turn with the arrest of Mohit alias Akshat, a first-year BBA student at a prominent private university in Noida. Mohit allegedly provided logistics and shelter to the shooters at his Greater Noida apartment.
The motive appears to be a lethal mix of personal vendetta and professional rivalry.
Vishal, one of the shooters, had reportedly been harassed by Sharma's henchmen while in prison. Seeking revenge and aiming to establish dominance in the underworld, he partnered with Ashutosh.
The conspiracy also involved Yashraj, owner of Sarika Enterprises. Yashraj was allegedly being extorted by Sharma, who wanted to seize Yashraj's lucrative railway food supply contracts.
"Ashutosh knew Yashraj was being squeezed by Sharma. They formed an unholy alliance—one seeking criminal prestige, the other seeking to remove a business threat," an investigator noted.
Following the murder, the suspects fled to Noida in Yashraj's Scorpio, hiding in the university student's flat. The police have seized the vehicle and continue to probe deeper into the syndicate's wider network.