3 gangsters shot dead in gunfight at a Delhi court
gangsters killed in immediate counter-fire by police as they opened fire in lawyers’ attire at a gangster UTP in Rohini court premises this afternoon. All the three gangsters are dead. No other injury or death occurred.”
Pranav Tayal, DCP (Rohini), said that around 1.15 pm, Gogi, previously involved in 30 heinous crimes, was brought to the court of Judge Gangandeep Singh for a criminal trial when two unidentified assailants, who were already present in the court wearing the full attire of lawyers, including a collar band and a black blazer, fired a shot at him. “As Gogi was hit, the police team on escort duty responded, and in the counter-fire both the assailants received gunshot wounds and were immobilised. All three were declared brought dead at the hospital,” the DCP said.
“A case under appropriate sections has been registered and an investigation has been taken up in accordance with the guidelines of the apex court and the NHRC,” the DCP added. The case was transferred to the Delhi police crime branch later on Friday night.
The joint commissioner of police (northern range) has, meanwhile, been tasked to enquire into the incident and submit a report.
A lawyer who doesn’t wish to be named told this newspaper that a hearing was going on and there were around 12 to 15 people inside the courtroom when the incident occurred.
“Two men dressed as lawyers whipped out their pistols and fired at Gogi, following which the people present in the room rushed out to save their lives and the judge also went back to his office just behind the courtroom,” he said.
“The metal detecting machines have not been working for quite a long time and the police don’t check and ask the lawyers for their ID. That is the reason the assailants entered the court dressed as lawyers,” he said.
After the incident, the Coordination Committee of all District Court Bar Associations of Delhi has also said they would suspend their work on September 25.
“The Coordination Committee of all District Court Bar Associations of Delhi, in its meeting, resolved that the working in the court will be suspended due to the revision of security norms on account of today’s incident in Rohini Court. All members are requested to abstain from their work on September 25,” said the letter by the Coordination Committee on Friday evening.
This is not the first time that a firing in and around a Delhi court premises has claimed lives as such occurrences have been reported earlier as well from the national capital. In 2018, rival ‘Tillu’ gang member was shot dead by Gogi’s men in the same court’s vicinity.
The rivalry of gangsters Gogi and Tillu Tajpuria, who were once friends, had started in 2010 with a college student union election in Outer Delhi, that later turned into a gang war. In 2018, there was a gang war between members of the Gogi and Tillu gangs in Burari, in which three people were killed and five others injured. So far, more than 100 people have been killed in the fight between the two gangs.
Jitender Mann alias Gogi, who carried a reward of `6.5 lakhs on his head, was arrested along with his three accomplices from Gurgaon by a Special Cell team in March last year, according to the police.
He was arrested along with Kuldeep Mann alias Fajja, Kapil alias Gaurav and Rohit alias Koi. The Special Cell was on the lookout for Gogi, Fajja and Gaurav for a long time before tracing them to their hideout in Gurgaon in March last year.
A few months ago, Fajja managed to escape from police custody when he was being produced in Karkardooma court and since that incident, the 3rd Battalion of the Delhi armed police used to accompany Gogi and his associates to the court for hearings.