Gogi’s assailants planned to escape through judge’s door, say Delhi Police
A suspect, who allegedly dropped the attackers outside the court, detained
NEW DELHI: The two men who shot dead gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi in a courtroom in Rohini court complex on Friday may have planned to escape through the judge’s entry-exit door as they had moved towards that direction immediately after pumping bullets into Gogi’s body, but were gunned down by the police personnel who feared that the suspects may harm the judge, said police officials privy to the investigation, quoting the statements of the personnel who were involved in the counter fire.
On Saturday, police detained one suspect, who had allegedly dropped the two attackers outside the court in an i10 car around 10am on Friday, nearly three hours before the shooting, and hope his questioning will lead to the people who ordered the hit. The prison department has also sounded an alert in the three jails in Delhi -- Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli -- where several members of Gogi and his rival gangs are lodged.
To be sure, the police have not officially shared any information about the suspects’ escape plan as, they say, they are yet to verify it from the prime conspirators who, as per the initial investigation, are Gogi’s arch rival Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya, and his associates such as Sunil Rathi, Naveen Bali, Neeraj Bawana,Vicky and Kaushal.
Except Vicky, who hails from Haryana’s Sonepat, the other suspected conspirators are lodged in different jails in Delhi and the neighbouring states. The crime branch team investigating the case will soon take their custody to question them on the conspiracy, the officials said.
According to police, after dropping the attackers outside the court, the suspect detained on Saturday, who was also dressed as a lawyer, drove his car to the court premises through gate number 4.
“The special cell team is questioning the suspect to ascertain the identities of the key conspirators,” the officer said.
Around 1pm on Friday, Gogi was escorted to court number 207 on the second floor of Rohini court complex.
Eyewitnesses as well as police officers said that the judge Gagandeep Singh was seated when the two assailants dressed as lawyers pulled out their guns and began firing at Gogi.
“A policeman involved in the counter fire told senior police officers that the judge rushed to his chamber using the door dedicated for his entry and exit from the courtroom. As the suspects also ran in the same direction, the policeman opened fire thinking that they may use the same door to escape or try to hurt the judge. The other policemen also responded and killed the duo before they could climb the judge’s desk. Since the attackers died, their exact escape plan would be known only when we interrogate the conspirators,” said a second senior police officer, who didn’t want to be named.
“Had the assailants managed to cross the desk, they would have easily escaped from the court campus as the staircase was just outside the entry-exit door,” added the officer.
The dead assailants were identified as Rahul Tyagi, who hails from a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, and Jagdeep alias Jagga, from Sonepat in Haryana.
Initial investigation and information collected by the police through their criminal intelligence network has hinted that the two were hired for the hit allegedly by Tajpuriya’s close aide, jailed gangster Naveen Dabas, better known as Naveen Bali.
The name of another associate of Tajpuriya, Sunil Rathi from UP’s Baghpat, is also being probed in the conspiracy.
Investigators said that information collected so far in the case has revealed that Tyagi and Jagga were kept in a flat located nearly three kilometres away from the Rohini court.
It has also been learnt that the suspects had conducted a detailed reconnaissance of the courtroom and its premises a day before the hit.
“These are all preliminary information and we are verifying it,” said the officer quoted first.
Security arrangements at the Rohini court complex was increased on Saturday as Tajpuriya was produced for a hearing at the court but the proceedings could not completed due to a strike announced by the lawyers.
Meanwhile, director general (Tihar prison) Sandeep Goel said that an alert has been sounded inside the prison, following which jail officers are rechecking the records of all members of the Gogi and Tajpuriya gangs lodged inside the prison complexes at Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli.