Two gunmen disguised as lawyers opened fire in a New Delhi courtroom on Friday, killing a notorious gangster during his own trial.
As reported by CNN, the shooting occurred as Jitendra Maan—a notorious gangster who was previously one of New Delhi’s most wanted men—entered the court to stand trial for murder and extortion. Police exchanged fire with the gunmen and killed them both.
“Two gangsters killed in immediate counterfire by police as they opened fire in lawyers’ attire at a gangster UTP (Under Trial Prisoner) in Rohini court premises this afternoon,” tweeted Delhi Police after the incident. “All 3 gangsters dead. No other injury or death occurred.”
Maan, who went by the alias “Gogi,” was the leader of the infamous Jitendra Gogi gang, which had been implicated in multiple crimes that included murder, kidnapping, and extortion. The gang leader, who evaded arrest for years, was finally apprehended in April after one of his associates posted a picture of an outing to Starbucks on Facebook. The image in question showed three paper cups labeled Rohit, Gogi, and Fajjie. Police visited multiple Starbucks branches and narrowed Gogi’s location down to the city of Gurgaon.
Gogi was charged for his alleged involvement in 19 murder and attempted murder cases, as reported by CNN affiliate News 18. At the time of the arrest, the Jitendra Gogi Gang had been feuding with another group known as the Tillu Gang, a rivalry police said led to a number of deadly shootings in the area, including Maan’s own murder.
“With most proceedings held virtually because of coronavirus restrictions, very few people were present in the courtroom at the time of the shooting, said lawyer Satyanarayan Sharma, who was at the court as part of a different case,” the Washington Postwrites.
The incident has raised concerns about Delhi’s security in the courtroom, a concern which Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said his department is addressing. “The question on whether the metal detectors were not working in the court premises is a matter of investigation and I cannot comment on that at the moment,” Asthana told NDTV. “We are already investigating the case and we shall not spare anyone who is involved in this shootout. No one will be spared. Delhi police is doing its job seriously. We were effective and focused and that is why the shooter was successfully neutralized.”
