Delhi Court Extends Police Custody of Advocate Deepak Khatri in UAPA Arms Case
The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday extended the police custody of advocate Deepak Khatri, a member of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's legal team, by two additional days in connection with an Unlawful Activities Prevention Act case linked to an alleged illegal arms supply racket.
Khatri was produced before the court after the expiration of his earlier five-day period in police custody. The Delhi Police had requested a further five days of remand to proceed with their interrogation, but the court granted an extension only until Saturday.
Delhi Police apprehended Khatri at Indira Gandhi International Airport after a lookout circular had previously been issued against him. According to investigators, Khatri had arrived in the capital on a flight from Dubai before being detained.
The arrest stems from an ongoing investigation conducted by the Delhi Police Crime Branch into a weapon trafficking network. Police suspect Khatri of maintaining active links with an illegal arms supply operation and functioning as a conduit between members of rival and allied criminal syndicates. Prior to Khatri's detention, investigators had arrested an alleged arms trafficker named Shehhbaz Ansari, through whom they subsequently uncovered suspected ties connecting Khatri to the trafficking ring. Khatri's legal team has denied all allegations brought against him.
Khatri's name had previously surfaced in connection with a violent incident in the city earlier this year. On February 24, Khatri and his associates were targeted in a firing incident near a Hanuman temple located in Delhi's Yamuna Bazaar area shortly after leaving the premises. Khatri survived the shooting and alleged that operatives belonging to the Rohit Godara gang were responsible for the attack. Police later identified the suspected shooters, noting that the assailants had carried out a recce of the temple area prior to opening fire.
Investigators are continuing to examine Khatri's alleged connections to the wider arms supply network as well as his suspected role in facilitating communications across different gang members.
