Police suspect gang war behind south Delhi gym owner's murder, four held
New Delhi (PTI): In a suspected case of gang war, a 35-year-old gym owner was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in the posh Greater Kailash area of south Delhi, police said on Friday.
Four people have been arrested in this connection, they said.
"These four are suspected to have provided logistical support to the shooters. They are being further interrogated by a Special Cell team," a senior officer said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Nitalesh Tiwari, Vishal Verma and Akash Yadav of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, and Naveen Baliyan of Haryana's Sonipat.
Two country-made pistols and eight live rounds were seized from them.
The officer said two more people were detained and questioned in connection with the case but the main shooter remained on the run.
The police also suspect the involvement of associates of jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba in the murder.
Nadir Shah -- who previously had criminal cases, including extortion, robbery and attempted murder, against him -- co-owned a gym in Greater Kailash 1.
He would also lend money on very high interest rates, police sources said.
Shah owned a business in Dubai and was stated to be known to some Delhi police officials.
He is survived by his mother and two brothers. Shah's father hailed from Afghanistan and moved to Delhi several years ago.
At the time of the incident, some officials of the Delhi Police's Special Cell were present at the gym, where they had gone to meet an informer, a source said.
Shah was talking to a friend outside the gym when he was shot at around 10.44 pm, the police said.
CCTV camera footage purporting to show Shah talking to a person as an attacker walks towards him and fires a volley of bullets from close range later surfaced on social media.
The police suspect the attacker fled on a motorcycle with an associate, who was waiting for him.
Another police source said the background of the man Shah was talking to when he was attacked had been verified.
He told the police that he had come with a woman friend, who was sitting in his car at that time, the second source said.
Minutes after, a post was shared on a social media account claiming to be that of gangster Rohit Godara, taking responsibility for the shooting.
The post said the shooting was ordered by Sameer Baba, a jailed criminal, as Shah was causing troubling in his business.
"Whoever will support our rival and trouble us will be shot like this," it added.
The post also mentioned the names of Lawrence Bishnoi's associates Godara, Goldy Brar, Gogi gang and Kala Rana gang.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said they received information about the shooting at Greater Kailash 1 and one person being taken to Max Hospital. Personnel rushed to the spot and found bullet projectiles and empty cartridges.
Upon inquiry, it was found that Shah, a resident of CR Park, had suffered five bullet injuries, the police said.
"The attackers came on a two wheeler, fired at him and fled. He was immediately rushed to the hospital by his friends but was declared dead," Chauhan said.
The investigators are looking at all possible angles, he added.
The police suspect a case of rivalry but did not rule out the possibility of a gang war.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
