Chandigarh/New Delhi: Two alleged shooters linked with the Lawrence Bishnoi-Harry Boxer gang, suspected to be involved in the murder of a gym owner in Haryana’s Hansi, were killed in a police encounter in Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district, an official said Sunday.
The operation was carried out by a joint team of Delhi Police Special Cell and Haryana Special Task Force (STF) Saturday night.
Officials said the two shooters — Parvesh and Himanshu — opened fire at police teams after they were intercepted. Police retaliated, and the accused sustained gunshot injuries. When taken to hospital, they were declared brought dead.
Constable Ankit of the Special Cell sustained a gunshot injury to his leg during the operation, they added.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bahadurgarh, Mayank Mishra told PTI Sunday that the two shooters were intercepted past midnight, following a tip-off.
Haryana Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on each of the accused in connection with the killing of gym owner Kapil in Hansi June 11.
Kapil was conducting an outdoor exercise session with a group of six to seven people when he was shot dead. A CCTV visual of the incident had gone viral on social media.
Police said during the investigation, it came to light that the murder was allegedly carried out by Parvesh and Himanshu — both residents of Hisar district — at the behest of an organised crime syndicate operated by Hariram alias Harry Boxer and Anil Pandit, which investigators said is associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
According to the Special Cell, the two were also wanted in connection with a firing incident outside singer Guru Randhawa’s gym in west Delhi.
Police said reliable intelligence indicated that both accused, armed with sophisticated weapons, were present in Bahadurgarh, and were planning to execute a serious offence.
Acting on the input, joint teams of the Special Cell and Haryana STF launched an operation and tracked the suspects near Balor in Bahadurgarh. Police said the duo was surrounded and asked to surrender. However, they allegedly opened fire, prompting personnel to retaliate in self-defence.
During the encounter, bullets struck the bulletproof jackets of four police personnel, saving their lives, Haryana Police said.
Both accused sustained gunshot wounds in the encounter and were immediately shifted to a hospital, where they were declared dead.
Senior officers of Haryana Police, along with forensic experts and crime team personnel, inspected the encounter scene. A separate case has been registered at Sadar police station in Bahadurgarh in connection with the gunfight, police said.
Delhi Police said the operation followed the arrest of two other alleged members of the same syndicate — Hakikat alias Sahil and Sagar — after an encounter with Special Cell near Paschim Vihar on June 25. The two are accused of opening fire outside Guru Randhawa’s gym in Delhi June 11 and are currently in police custody.
Police said interrogation of the two yielded leads about the Hansi murder, following which investigators analysed human, technical and electronic intelligence to trace Parvesh and Himanshu.
The Special Cell has also registered a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to investigate the financial and logistical networks linked with the Harry Boxer-Anil Pandit crime syndicate, and pursue legal action against absconding gang leaders, police said.
Haryana Director General of Police Ajay Singhal said state police is taking firm and uncompromising action against organised crime, gangster networks and those challenging the rule of law.
