2 more arrested in property dealer murder in west Delhi

New Delhi: Police have arrested two alleged members of the Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu gang — Sonu Sharma (29) and Deepak alias Gattu (30) — for the murder of property dealer Rajkumar Dral (52) in April. So far, 16 people, including four shooters, have been arrested in the case.Dral, who was allegedly targeted for his growing proximity to the rival Manjeet Mahal gang, was shot dead in west Delhi's Paschim Vihar. Nandu claimed responsibility for the attack via a social media post. While the initial investigation focused on the four shooters who pulled the trigger, the arrest of Sharma and Gattu has completed the "weapons circle" and the financial trail that powered the assassination, said officers.While Gattu was arrested in Bahadurgarh, Sharma was held in Najafgarh. According to investigators, Gattu, a long-term associate of the Nandu gang with a criminal history dating back to his time as a juvenile, was responsible for managing the weapons. Police said the firearms used in the murder were brought in from Rajasthan. Sharma, whose brother is also in judicial custody, allegedly provided the funds to procure these weapons and sustain the shooters during their recce."The four shooters were visible in CCTV footage, and the vehicle used in the crime was identified as a Swift Dzire, which had been purchased by the accused two days before the incident. After identifying the shooters, a police team traced all resources used by them. The shooters stayed in a hotel in Paschim Vihar for a week to monitor Dral's routine," DCP (Outer) Sachin Sharma said.During their stay, SIM cards and logistical support were provided by Gayathri (27), whose husband Ankush is in jail in connection with the murder of Manjeet Mahal's father in 2017. These SIM cards were allegedly arranged by Sidharth (24), Shivam (24), Abhishek (24) and Abu Sayyed (35), all of whom have been arrested.Before the hit was executed, a cash transfer for the Swift Dzire took place near a Murthal dhaba. This led police to Sandeep alias Chintu (32), who was seen in a Tata Tiago handing over cash to the shooters. Chintu was arrested in a Sonipat village. The money was allegedly received from Vikas Tomar, who is absconding.On the day of the murder, the weapons allegedly procured by Gattu were supplied to the shooters in Najafgarh through Manoj Yadav (36), recently released from jail in a case involving the murder of his brother.After the killing, the shooters fled to Rohtak and handed over the weapons to Naveen alias Doctor, a dismissed Haryana Police constable, who later returned the firearms to Gattu to conceal the evidence, said cops. In the final leg of their escape, the shooters escaped to Lucknow, where they were allegedly harboured by Akash Mishra, son of UP-based gangster Dilip Mishra, and Rahul Bajpai, a govt veterinary doctor. Both were arrested in Prayagraj.