Four individuals, including a former national-level cyclist and a school teacher, have been arrested in connection with an alleged firing incident at a jewellery shop in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar. The incident occurred on August 24 when two men on a motorcycle arrived at the showroom and reportedly fired multiple rounds at the store's boundary wall, according to the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Manoj C stated that before fleeing, the accused left behind a note demanding Rs 1 crore as "protection money" from the jeweller. The note also mentioned the names of four gangsters: Neeraj Bawana, Naveen Bali, Bambiha, and Bhola.
A CCTV footage from the Mukherjee Nagar jewellery showroom captured a man wearing a helmet opening fire, which helped the police track down the suspects involved in the extortion attempt. According to the DCP, a dedicated Special Cell team identified and arrested two suspects, Nikki Bidhudi of Bulandshahr and Hemant of Mathura, on August 28. During interrogation, the suspects disclosed that they, along with their gang members, had conspired to fire gunshots at the jewellery store to demand "protection money." Acting on this information, the police also arrested the main shooter, Aakash alias Katil from Hapur, and the key conspirator, Harender alias KD from Greater Noida.
DCP's statement on the matter
The DCP stated that the accused had meticulously planned the extortion attempt, first conducting reconnaissance of prominent jewellery showrooms across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to identify potential targets. Once they selected their target, they stole a motorcycle and acquired a SIM card on a fake ID. On the day of the incident, Aakash and Bidhudi arrived at Mukherjee Nagar on the stolen vehicle to execute their plan. Bidhudi positioned himself on the motorcycle in front of the jewellery showroom, while Aakash carried out the shooting and left behind a paper slip demanding the extortion amount.
About the arrested school teacher
The DCP said Harender is a school teacher, with a master's degree in political science. Despite having a stable job, he harbours a deep fascination for the criminal underworld. This fascination had led him to his involvement in two criminal cases, previously, followed by arrest. In the current case, Harender selected the targeted jewellery shop for extortion, Manoj added. The shooter Aakash was earlier arrested in a robbery case in Delhi in 2021. During his custody in Mandoli jail, he, too, came across several infamous gangsters and developed relations with them, the DCP added.
(With PTI inputs)
