34-year-old man with criminal record killed in shooting near Gurugram toll plaza: Police

New Delhi: A 34-year-old man with a long criminal record was shot dead near the Kherki Daula toll plaza on Tuesday evening, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Manoj Ojha (34), a resident of Chhatarpur in Delhi. Police said Ojha was a known history-sheeter, with 16 criminal cases registered against him in the capital, including murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, robbery and theft. He had been convicted in two cases and was released on bail in June 2025 after completing a prison term.

The incident came to light after police received information about a man having been shot near the toll plaza. A team from the Kherki Daula police station rushed to the spot and found Ojha critically injured inside a Bolero vehicle. He was taken to Medanta – The Medicity, where doctors declared him brought dead.

During a preliminary inspection of the vehicle at the scene, police recovered two loaded pistols, raising questions about the sequence of events leading to the shooting. Officials said it is yet to be established whether the weapons belonged to Ojha or to the assailants, and whether the firing took place inside or outside the vehicle.

Senior officers said a detailed investigation is underway to reconstruct the crime, identify the exact spot of the shooting and determine the motive. Scene-of-crime experts, forensic science laboratory teams and fingerprint experts examined the area and the vehicle for evidence.

The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and the family has been informed.

The killing has once again highlighted safety concerns around the busy toll plaza. In November last year, a separate fatal incident was reported at the same location when a 45-year-old real estate dealer from Rajasthan’s Alwar district was crushed to death by a gravel-laden truck and dragged for nearly 200 metres while travelling towards the airport.