Gurugram: Two shooters linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, each carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh, were killed in an encounter with a joint team of the Haryana Police’s Special Task Force (STF) Bahadurgarh unit and the Counter Intelligence wing of Delhi Police’s Special Cell late Saturday night near Bahadurgarh.
The deceased Lawrence Bishnoi gang members have been identified as Pravesh, a resident of Tibba Danasher village, and Himanshu, son of Sushil Kumar, from Jakhod Khera village, both in Hisar district.
The two were wanted in the murder of Hansi gym owner Kapil, shot dead on 11 June, a case that had triggered outrage after the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for it within hours.
A spokesperson of the Haryana Police informed ThePrint that acting on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of the two accused in the Bahadurgarh area, the joint teams moved in to apprehend them.
The spokesperson said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang members, who were armed with sophisticated weapons, were allegedly planning to carry out a major criminal act in the area.
On spotting the police, they opened indiscriminate fire, following which the police teams retaliated in self defence, leading to an exchange of fire.
One constable was injured in the encounter while four personnel had a narrow escape, according to the police. Bullets fired by the accused struck the bulletproof jackets of four police personnel, the spokesperson said.
The injured police constable was rushed to hospital along with the two accused. Doctors declared Pravesh and Himanshu dead during treatment, while the injured constable is said to be stable.
Weapons and other evidence have been seized from the encounter site, and further investigation is underway, the spokesperson added.
DGP cites zero-tolerance policy
The police spokesperson said that Director General of Police Ajay Singhal has said the operation reflected Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s zero-tolerance policy against organised crime and gangster networks.
He said the police teams involved had shown courage and professionalism in carrying out a difficult operation, and wished the injured constable a speedy recovery. Singhal said Haryana Police would continue firm and decisive action against criminal networks operating in the state.
The Hansi gym murder that set off the manhunt
Kapil, who ran a gym named RED in Hansi’s Krantikari Chowk area, was shot dead on the morning of 11 June while training a group of young men and a woman at his gym. According to police, two attackers arrived on a motorcycle, and one of them opened fire on Kapil at close range, hitting him in the head and back. Kapil collapsed on the spot; a stray bullet injured a woman present at the gym. Doctors later found nine bullet wounds on Kapil’s body, six on the back and three on the chest.
Hours after the killing, a social media post from an X handle “Harry Boxer” claimed responsibility for the murder on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, alleging that Kapil was the “mastermind” behind two earlier firing incidents in Shekhpura and Dhani Puria villages near Hansi in February 2025. Police records show Kapil had cases of murder, attempt to murder and assault registered against him in four different police stations between 2023 and 2024.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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