Four arrested, two killed in encounter after twin gang shootings in Paschim Vihar and Hansi
A series of police operations in late June led to the arrest of four suspects and the death of two others in an encounter, following twin shootings on June 11 targeting a gym in Paschim Vihar, Delhi, and a gym trainer in Hansi, Haryana. The six young men allegedly executed the coordinated attacks using smuggled foreign-made firearms on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
On June 10, the six accused—identified as Arman, Tushar, Sagar, Haqeeqat, Pravesh, and Himanshu, aged between 19 and 22—allegedly collected a cache of foreign-made weapons, including Turkey-made Zigana pistols and Pakistan-made TT-30 .30-bore weapons, from a location between Hansi and Sonipat.
The following day, June 11, the group split up to hit their respective targets. In Paschim Vihar, two men on a motorcycle fired seven rounds at the Guru Randhawa-owned 24 HS Gym, which is located on the fourth floor of a commercial building. The gunfire shattered the gym's window panes but caused no casualties.
Within a span of two hours, the second group shot and killed 25-year-old gym trainer Kapil Redhu during an outdoor morning training session near Fawwara Chowk in Hansi. The attackers fired 10 rounds at point-blank range, killing Redhu on the spot and injuring a female trainee.
Following an investigation, the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Special Cell identified the suspects through CCTV footage. Arman, Tushar, Sagar, and Haqeeqat were arrested in late June. Police recovered a Pakistan-made TT 30-style .30-bore pistol from one of the suspects, which matched the weapon used in the Delhi gym shooting.
The remaining two suspects, Pravesh and Himanshu, were gunned down during the early hours of a Sunday in an encounter with a joint team of the Haryana and Delhi Police in Bahadurgarh.
According to the police, the six men, all residents of Haryana's Hisar and Sonipat districts, were recruited by Anil Pandit and Sunder Hansi, associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang led by Harry Boxer. The recruits, who had studied up to Classes 10 and 12, were lured into the syndicate with promises of a lavish lifestyle, including expensive shoes, parties, and drinks at high-end bars.
The suspects communicated with their handlers using encrypted messaging applications like Signal and Zangi. In an audio clip circulated after the incident, a man claiming to be Harry Boxer took responsibility for the attacks, stating that the Delhi shooting was a warning to Randhawa regarding Bollywood actor Salman Khan, while Redhu was targeted for his alleged involvement in planning a prior shootout.
The Delhi Police Special Cell has invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Boxer, Pandit, and other members of the syndicate.
