Three firing incidents in Delhi; police probe extortion links, gang involvement

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Three separate firing incidents, allegedly linked to gangsters, were reported from different parts of the national capital during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, officials said.

The Delhi Police is investigating a possible common link between the attacks, which targeted a gym in Paschim Vihar, a residence in Vinod Nagar, and a house in Green Park Extension.

The police are examining whether the same group of assailants or handlers were involved in the string of shootings, the officials said.

The first incident took place at a gym in outer Delhi’s Paschim Vihar, where two motorcycle-borne men fired two rounds. While no injuries were reported, a social media post surfaced shortly after, claiming responsibility for the attack.

The post, purportedly made in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang by an individual identified as Randeep Malik, suggested the gym was targeted because the owner ignored the gang's calls.

The post warned the owner of a fate similar to Nadir Shah, a gym co-owner who was shot dead in the Greater Kailash area in September 2024. Police recovered a live cartridge from the spot and have formed multiple teams to track the shooters.

"We are verifying the authenticity of the social media post. At this stage, it is premature to comment on the involvement of any gang," a senior police officer said.

A few hours later, around midnight, two men on a motorcycle fired three to four rounds in the air outside the residence of Jitender Gupta, a property dealer in east Delhi's Vinod Nagar. No injuries were reported.

Madhu Vihar police said firing may be linked to an extortion threat earlier received by the homeowner. An eyewitness told the police that the suspects appeared to be recording a video of the house on a mobile phone before the pillion rider opened fire.

Gupta told PTI that he had earlier received extortion threats on September 27 and December 31 from people claiming to be members of the Bishnoi gang. Due to the sensitivity of the case, armed sentries have been deployed at his residence.

The third incident occurred around 1 am at a house in the Green Park Extension area of southwest Delhi's Safdarjung Enclave. CCTV footage showed an unidentified person firing at the property before fleeing on a motorcycle.

Police said teams are mapping the escape routes used in all three locations to see if movement patterns overlap.

These incidents come days after a similar attack on January 2, where more than 20 rounds were fired at a property dealer's car in northwest Delhi's Rohini. That case was linked to extortion threats from foreign-based gangster Himanshu Bhau.

Police sources said the sequence of events suggests a concerted effort to intimidate businessmen through coordinated gunfire and social media claims. PTI SSJ BM BM AKY AKY