Representative image of criminals in handcuffs.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have arrested two men alleged to have shot down an Air India crew member in Noida in a hit job ordered from inside the Tihar prison, an officer said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Kuldeep of Delhi's Bhajanpura and Abdul Kadir of UP's Bijnor, were arrested from near Sarai Kale Khan bus stand following an exchange of fire between them and a team of Crime Branch early Monday morning, said the officer.
Kuldeep and Abdul both were shot in the leg in the encounter.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amit Goel, Kuldeep and Abdul were tasked by Kallu Khera of Lawrence Bishnoi and Gogi Gang to eliminate 32-year-old Suraj Mann from inside the Tihar jail.
The hit was ordered as part of an ongoing gang-rivalry between Kallu Khera alias Kapil and Parvesh Mann, a gangster lodged in Delhi's Mandoli jail, and a brother of the victim.
Suraj Mann was sitting inside his car outside a gym and about to go home when three bike-borne men fired multiple rounds at him and in the air in Noida's Sector 104, Goel said.
According to another police officer, both accused were provided with sophisticated Zigana and Beretta 9mm semi-automatic pistols to carry out the killing.
"The two were accompanied by one more attacker, who is still on run," the officer said.
During interrogation, they revealed that they were in contact with gangster Kapil, who is lodged in Tihar jail, through one of their friends, Goel said.
Kuldeep had met Abdul in a jail in 2020 and they were there introduced to Kapil, who gave them the task to kill Suraj Mann, a brother of rival gang member Pravesh Mann.
Parvesh Mann and Kapil belong to Kheri Khurd village of Shahbad Dairy in Delhi.
Parvesh Mann, currently lodged in jail in a MCOCA case, is a key member of Neeraj Bawania Gang, Goel said.
The rivalry between Parvesh Mann and Kapil alias Kallu started in July, 2018, when Parvesh killed Kallu's uncle and later his father in 2022, Goel said.
In revenge, Kallu murdered Parvesh's cousin in 2019 and now his brother, he added.
Police recovered two sophisticated automatic pistols of 0.32 bore and six live cartridges of 7.65 mm from the possession of the two gangsters.