Gangster-linked gunmen attack shops in Delhi in broad daylight

New Delhi: Armed gunmen went on the rampage and shot indiscriminately at two business establishments in Paschim Vihar and Chhawla on Wednesday afternoon, following extortion demands from a British gangster Kapil Sangwan. CCTV footage confirms that the same group of attackers was involved in both incidents.
This is the fourth reported extortion-related shooting in a span of 48 hours, highlighting a worrying pattern of coordinated attacks by armed assailants in Delhi.
In the first incident at Paschim Vihar West around 2.30 pm, three persons on a motorcycle approached a supermarket. Two of them, with their faces covered, fired several bullets into the air before fleeing on bicycles.
The shooting immediately caused panic as those inside the supermarket heard the shots, eyewitnesses said. Everyone looked for a place to hide to avoid being hit by the bullets, while people took cover behind the counters and shelves. Local police responded immediately after being informed and inspected the scene.
The second incident took place at 4.14 pm in Chhawla, where three assailants with motorcycles attacked a motorcycle workshop of Joginder Singh in Durga Park locality. While one of the suspects remained on the bike, the other two, wearing masks, entered the workshop where mechanics were working and fired at least ten shots. Five of these hit a parked Alto. The suspects then ran off.
A senior police officer said FIRs have been registered and teams have been formed to solve the cases and arrest the suspects.
The recent wave of extortion-related shootings has raised serious concerns about public safety and gang activity in the national capital. Wednesday’s attacks follow two similar incidents on November 4, in which members of the Gogi gang attacked businesses in Nangloi and Alipur. Both the Sangwan and Gogi gangs are known to be working with the Lawrence Bishnoi Syndicate.
In September, Sangwan’s gunmen had fired at a popular sweet shop in West Delhi’s Tilak Nagar after a businessman refused to pay Rs 2 crore as ‘protection money’. Sangwan guided the shooters in real time through the Jangi chat application. The police suspect that this was also the case on Wednesday.
Sangwan has found his name in the list of top five wanted gangsters after he allegedly orchestrated the murder of INLD’s Haryana unit chief Nafe Singh Rathi. He runs a lucrative extortion racket through gunmen recruited through social media. His brother, Jyoti Baba, is currently in Tihar jail.
Sangwan has a rivalry with gangster Manjeet Mahal after the latter allegedly murdered his brother-in-law in 2015. Sangwan struck back and the siblings are said to have committed a series of murders over the past decade.
According to sources, efforts are being made to bring the fugitive back to the country. Sangwan’s association with gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Kala Jathedi has also made him a rival to Neeraj Bawana and Bali.