UP gangster found dead inside cell at Tihar, probe begins

New Delhi: A dreaded gangster, involved in more than eight murders was found dead inside his cell in Tihar Jail on Wednesday morning with the police tight-lipped on the prima facie cause of death. However, two of his cell mates were also found injured when his body was discovered.

According to the police, the deceased Ankit Gujjar was last year arrested by the Special Cell and was involved in killings for political motives to the murder of BJP leader Vijay Pandit in 2014.

The injured inmates, identified as Gurjeet Singh (22) and his brother Gurpreet (22), were taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital. Both of them were arrested in the year 2018 for committing murder. Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel said Ankit was found dead in his cell in Central Jail number three of Tihar. "He was involved in several cases including those of murder and robbery," he said.

According to Delhi Police, they got a call around 9.15 am about the death of Ankit. When they reached the spot, he was found dead and his two cellmates were found injured.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Urvija Goel said inquest proceedings were being conducted in the matter by the metropolitan magistrate, refusing to disclose how the gangster had died. "Action will be taken as per the inquest report and the post-mortem report of the deceased," she said.

Police said they are probing why and how he died inside the cell. When a senior jail official was asked whether he was beaten to death, he replied that it was too early to say. "We are ascertaining the sequence of events," he added. The jail authority was also probing the role of a deputy superintendent, Millennium Post has learned.

Police said Ankit was lodged in a murder case from 2019. He along with his associates had shot dead one Prince Bihari of their rival Prince Tewatia gang near the Saket Mall. "The reason behind the murder was the extortion network in South Delhi," the official said.

Ankit was carrying a total reward of Rs 1,25,000 for his involvement in heinous cases in UP. Police claimed that Ankit had reportedly joined hands with another gangster Rohit Chaudhary to form the Chaudhary-Gujjar gang and they were keen on expanding their network in South

Delhi. As per the police, in 2019, Ankit wanted to control the panchayat elections in his favour at Chandi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. "One Vinod of his village opposed and was planning to fight against Ankit in the panchayat polls. Ankit killed his rival Vinod before the elections and fled from his village. Reward of Rs 50,000 was declared on the arrest of the gangster by UP Police," one police officer said.