NEW DELHI: Delhi police and Haryana STF jointly conducted an operation to nab the three gangsters, two of whom were linked to the murder at a Burger King outlet in Rajouri Garden.
In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police Crime Branch, in collaboration with the Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF), neutralised three gangsters in a high-stakes encounter on Chinoli Road near Kharkhoda village in Haryana’s Sonipat district. The operation culminated in a fierce exchange of gunfire, with multiple shots fired from both sides.
The deceased gangsters, identified as Ashish alias Lalu, Sunny Kharad, and Vikki Ridhana, were well-known sharpshooters associated with the Himanshu Bhau gang. These criminals were implicated in a series of violent crimes, including a recent high-profile murder at a Burger King outlet in Delhi’s Rajouri Garden area.
According to police sources, the gangsters managed to shoot a senior Delhi Police officer in his bulletproof vest during the encounter. Fortunately, the officer was unharmed. However, official confirmation of this information is still pending.
The operation was led by Inspector Rampal of the New Delhi Range, RK Puram, under the supervision of ACP Umesh Barthwal and DCP/Crime Amit Goel, IPS. Following the Burger King shootout, the team had been tirelessly working for over three weeks to gather intelligence on the elusive shooters, Ashish Lalu and Vicky.
According to Delhi Police, on July 12, the Crime Branch received credible information that Ashish and Vicky, along with their other associate, would be travelling to Kharkhoda in a Kia Seltos car to commit a heinous crime. Acting swiftly, the team coordinated with DSP Indivir and Inspector Yogender from STF, Sonipat, to form a joint operation unit.
The team intercepted the Kia Seltos at around 8:40 pm on Rohtak-Chinoli road. The suspects attempted to flee by diverting towards a kutcha road, but their vehicle got stuck in a farm. The suspects then opened fire on the police while trying to escape their vehicle. Despite warnings to surrender, the assailants continued their assault, injuring SI Amit and striking the bulletproof jackets worn by DCP Amit Goel and ACP Umesh Barthwal.
In self-defense and to apprehend the criminals, the police retaliated, resulting in injuries to the suspects. The intense exchange saw the police fire 19 rounds and the assailants 24 rounds. Five automatic pistols were recovered from the scene. The Sonipat Control Room was promptly informed, and ambulances were dispatched to transport the injured to the hospital, where they were declared dead upon arrival. Forensic experts and the FSL team were called to the scene for investigation. Legal actions under appropriate sections of the law are being taken by PS Kharkhoda, Sonipat.
The Haryana Police had previously announced a reward for the capture of these gangsters due to a spike in extortion cases across the state. Among the three deceased, Ashish and Vikki were implicated in the shocking murder at a Burger King outlet in Delhi’s Rajouri Garden last month. On June 18, Aman Joon, a 26-year-old resident of Chhochhi, Jhajjar, was killed in a gruesome attack. The assailants fired nearly 40 bullets at him while he sat at a table in the restaurant. It was later revealed that Aman had been lured to the location as part of a honeytrap scheme orchestrated by a woman named Anu, who is still on the run.
In a social media post, Himanshu Bhau claimed the trio had been picked up by police and kept in detention, alleging that they would be killed in a “fake encounter” for medals. Bhau had previously taken responsibility for Aman’s murder, prompting the case to be transferred to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. On June 28, the Special Cell made a breakthrough by arresting Bijender Golu, who had provided logistical support by transporting the sharpshooters to and from the crime scene on his motorcycle.