Five Arrested for Kanjhawala SUV Murder Stemming From 22-Year Rivalry
Police have arrested five men in connection with the murder of 45-year-old Deepak Dabas, who was run over by an SUV in the Kanjhawala area of Rohini on July 16 following two previous failed attempts on his life. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal announced the arrests on Thursday, identifying 45-year-old Pawan alias Jagpal Dabas as the primary conspirator behind the fatal attack.
According to the police, the motive behind the repeated attacks was a 22-year-old enmity linked to the deceased's alleged harassment of Pawan's sister.
The case came to light on July 16 after the Kanjhawala police station received a PCR call reporting a man lying dead near an SUV in a field close to Chandpur Majra. A police team reached the location and identified the victim as Deepak Dabas, a resident of Majra Dabas village. Officers also found a damaged scooter approximately 100 metres away from the body. An FIR was subsequently registered at Kanjhawala police station, and a special team was established to probe the murder.
During the investigation, officers discovered that Deepak had previously survived two other attempts on his life. The first involved gunfire outside his brother's residence. The second attempt occurred on July 2 in Majra Dabas, where Deepak was intentionally struck by a car while riding his scooter.
Investigators arrested Sagar alias Kala, 30, on July 17. Under interrogation, Sagar disclosed the conspiracy and confessed to intentionally driving a car into Deepak during the July 2 incident. Police later recovered the Hyundai i10 used in that attempt from 30-year-old Atul alias Monty.
Sagar's interrogation pointed to Pawan as the main conspirator who had planned the murder. Police then tracked down Pawan's associates, arresting 23-year-old Sahil on July 22 for sheltering Pawan and helping him evade law enforcement. On July 26, police arrested Prince alias Tilli, 24, for arranging the Scorpio SUV that was ultimately used to run over Deepak on July 16.
Pawan was arrested on August 12 following sustained police efforts. Police revealed that Pawan has four prior criminal cases against him, while Sagar and Prince have two cases each. No prior criminal records were found for Atul or Sahil.
Police have recovered two vehicles—the Mahindra Scorpio used on July 16 and the Hyundai i10 used on July 2—along with two mobile phones. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities examine all aspects of the conspiracy.
