NEW DELHI: An 18-year-old man accused of shooting at a relative of a rival gangster in Haridwar was arrested from Delhi’s Narela, police said on Sunday.
Sami Khan alias Sunny was inspired by gangsters since his school days, and joined the Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu gang, they said.
He was allegedly involved in a gun attack on a hotelier, a relative of a gangster associated with the Manjeet Mahal gang, on June 2.
“The shooting was orchestrated by gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, who is currently operating from abroad. His gang and the Manjeet Mahal gang have been engaged in a long-standing violent rivalry, which has claimed over a dozen lives in Delhi-NCR, particularly in the Najafgarh region,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik said.
After the incident, Khan fled to Nepal. He was arrested on June 30, just two days after he had returned, allegedly to receive another assignment. One pistol and three live cartridges were recovered from his possession, the DCP said.
Police said the June 2 attack was an attempt to eliminate one Arun alias Sukha, a resident of Rohtak, who was closely related to a Manjeet
Mahal gang member.
The assailants, including Khan, tracked and shot at Arun near a hotel in the Kharkhari area around 5.30 pm. He survived the attack.
Khan came in contact with Sangwan through Himanshu, a criminal from Phagwara. Khan and Himanshu had a rivalry with another local criminal, and in an attempt to gain support from Sangwan’s gang, agreed to eliminate a rival gang associate first.
To execute the attack, Himanshu roped in three other youngsters from Punjab.
During the operation, Khan and Himanshu were in constant touch with Sangwan’s handlers, who are based abroad, police said.
Born in Birganj, Nepal, Khan moved to Phagwara in 2015 following a devastating earthquake. He dropped out of school after class 10 and developed an interest in gangster culture, eventually forming ties with local criminals.
A case has been registered against him under the Arms Act, and Haridwar police have been informed of the arrest.