Update on the November 9 Sidhrawali shooting

This report follows Awaaz Punjab's November 9 story, in which Deepak was found shot dead in his car at the Sidhrawali bus stand and the attackers were unknown. Police now say both alleged shooters have been arrested. Read the earlier report

Gurugram: Police have arrested two men in connection with the fatal shooting of Deepak, 35, who was found dead inside his car at the bus stand in Sidhrawali village in Gurugram's Pataudi area on November 9, according to police-facing reports published on Thursday. The Crime Branch, Sector 40, arrested Jatin, 21, a resident of Sidhrawali, on November 10, and his alleged accomplice Monu alias Dholia, 27, was arrested at Pawta in Rajasthan on November 12.

Source: Mirror Now

Police said they recovered a foreign-made PX-30 pistol, a country-made firearm, seven live cartridges and a mobile phone during the arrests. The Times of India, in its Gurgaon report on the arrests, also named Jatin and Monu alias Dholia — a resident of Nangal Dargu village — and reported the seizure of the foreign-made PX-30 pistol.

Source: The Times of India via STV National

Deepak was found in the driver's seat of his car near a foot overbridge close to the village bus stand on the morning of November 9, still wearing his seatbelt, with bullet marks on the vehicle and empty cartridges scattered around it. A case was registered at Bilaspur police station on a complaint by the victim's uncle, initially against unidentified persons, and forensic teams processed the scene. At that stage the attackers and the exact time of the shooting were not known.

Personal grudges alleged; weapons trail points to a fugitive

Investigators say the killing was allegedly driven by separate personal grievances. According to police, Jatin allegedly held a grudge from an altercation about six months ago in which he alleges Deepak and his associates assaulted his brother and a friend. Monu allegedly sought to avenge a six-year-old incident involving the owner of a restaurant where he had earlier worked, whom Deepak had allegedly tried to kill. These are police allegations at this stage and have not been tested in court.

Police said the weapons used in the crime were allegedly supplied to Monu by a fugitive identified as Lipin Nehra, who is yet to be arrested. Reports said Deepak was facing eight cases across Gurugram and Rajasthan, including murder, attempted murder, extortion and illegal weapon possession, while Monu also has eight cases against him, ranging from robbery and snatching to Arms Act and Excise Act offences. Police have also linked Monu to a separate attempted murder case in the Sector 10 police station area.

2Alleged shooters arrested
7Live cartridges recovered
5 daysPolice custody granted for Jatin

Jatin was produced before a local court and remanded to five days of police custody for questioning, reports said. Monu's production before a court and the search for the alleged weapons supplier are the next steps, and the investigation is continuing. The accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence until the charges are proved.

What happens next

Police questioning of both men in custody, the hunt for alleged weapons supplier Lipin Nehra, and forensic matching of the recovered pistol and cartridges with the shells found at the Sidhrawali bus stand on November 9.