New Delhi: Three men on a motorcycle opened fire at a car in which jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s lawyer and four others were travelling near a temple in north Delhi’s Kashmere Gate late Tuesday.
The lawyer, Deepak Khatri, escaped unhurt, but another car occupant Sandeep was shot in the back. He is being treated at a city hospital and his condition is stable.
Soon after, a social media post, apparently from rival gangsters Naveen Boxer and Rahul Fatehpur, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Khatri said Wednesday he and his companions had just left a temple he visits every week when the assailants opened fire. “Around 10 pm, I left the temple and got into the car. The car had barely moved 10–20 metres, when we heard the sound of gunshots from behind. When we looked back, shots were being fired. We immediately sped away,” Khatri said.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma said the group was travelling towards ISBT at night when three unidentified assailants—one of whom was armed—opened fire. “One of his companions, Sandeep, was shot in the shoulder, and is out of danger,” Verma said.
A case under sections 109(1) (attempt to murder) and 3(5) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Arms Act was registered at Kashmiri Gate Police Station on Khatri’s complaint.
Khatri said this was the first time he had been attacked, even as he acknowledged that threats come with the territory.
“I see LB’s (Lawrence Bishnoi’s) cases, so threats are always there, but I have never received direct threats. We don’t know the exact cause yet. This is the first time such an incident has happened. Previously, I had filed an application with the Delhi Police Commissioner over threats,” he said.
Verma said detailed statements of all five occupants in the car had been recorded. “The complainant said there is a possibility of attack from a rival gang. Khatri has reported that he received threats from Shahzad Bhatti. We are investigating all angles,” he said.
After Tuesday’s incident, a Facebook account named ‘Naveen Boxer’ posted in Hindi that the attack was carried out by Boxer and Rahul Fatehpur. The post alleged that Khatri acted as a conduit for Bishnoi and issued a stark warning.
“He acts as an informant and middleman for Lawrence. You arrange extortion deals and bring information during meetings–stop doing this. Otherwise, your actions will be punished and your entire family will have to suffer the consequences… You are saved today. There is still time. Mend your ways,” it read.
Police said they were verifying the authenticity of the account and the claim. No arrests have been made so far.
Boxer, a wanted gangster in Haryana, is allegedly associated with gangster Rohit Godara who was close to Bishnoi till the syndicate split into two factions last year. Boxer and Godara left the Bishnoi gang but continued operating in the Bishnoi strongholds. The two factions have been linked to revenge killings in the US, Dubai and Canada.
Shehzad Bhatti is another gangster that investigators believe is based in Portugal and is allegedly involved in cross-border terror modules.
Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who leads a widespread crime syndicate, has been jailed multiple times since 2014. Currently lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail, he faces multiple charges for murder, extortion, trafficking and alleged involvement in the killing of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala.
(Edited by Prerna Madan)
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