Burari shootout: Assailants were surprised by bulletproof car

New Delhi: In the Burari shootout case, the cops believe that had it not been a bulletproof car, the civilian casualties would have been prevented.

Delhi Police sources say that the Gogi gang wanted to eliminate the rivals by shooting them inside the car and for that reason, they hit the car and started firing at the occupants but were caught by surprise by the bulletproof car.

"Though the attackers came for Mukul but thought Pawan would also be inside the car. They found that it was a good opportunity to eliminate both Mukul and his uncle Pawan but were unaware that Pawan's car was bulletproof. "This element of surprise baffled the attackers and they randomly fired at the rivals as they ran out," said a senior police officer.

Mukul's uncle Raju alias Deepak was murdered by gangster Jitender Gogi and his associates in 2015 in Azadpur. Raju's brother and Mukul's maternal uncle Pawan were pursuing the murder case which irked Gogi.

"Deepak's brother Pawan who is a constable with Delhi police and posted as a driver also had a PSO allotted to him and he later got his car bulletproof as he feared for his life from the GOGI gang. He was not in the car during the shootout," said an officer.

Sources said that since 17-year-old Mukul Thakran has joined the gym in the Burari area to lose weight and prepare for the national wrestling championship, the Gogi gang, however, sniffed his presence and came after him.

Fourteen bullets were pumped into him as he ran for cover. Meanwhile, the other four injured including two civilians Vashisht and Santosh are recovering at different hospitals.

Meanwhile, cops are going tough on budding criminals after the shootout and in another incident have arrested a criminal Nakul wanted in several murder and attempt-to-murder cases in Jafarpur Kalan.

As the criminal named Nakul was a desperate criminal of the Najafgarh area who has been involved in many cases of murder, attempt-to-murder, extortion and Arms Act, the case was transferred to Special Staff of Dwarka district for his early arrest. A trap was laid on 19 June and the accused was arrested while in possession of one country-made pistol and two live rounds.