Police suspect gang war behind south Delhi gym owner’s murder, four held

PTI, Sep 14, 2024, 10:19 AM IST

New Delhi: 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.