In northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura, a shocking incident unfolded late on Tuesday night as a 36-year-old senior manager employed by Amazon was ruthlessly shot in the head at close range by a group of four to five armed assailants. Tragically, a relative accompanying him also fell victim to gunfire and is currently in a critical condition. The assailants resorted to firing into the air while making their hasty escape, as per national media reports.
Late on Wednesday evening, a breakthrough in the case emerged when the Delhi Police’s special cell apprehended the primary suspect, identified as Sameer (18). Reports in the media stated that Sameer is the leader of an emerging criminal group known as the “Maya gang” and has been implicated in a minimum of four homicides. He allegedly cited an incident from last month in which the victim, Harpreet Gill, purportedly slapped one of Sameer’s associates, who is a minor. Sameer claimed that he sought revenge for this perceived insult. The police are currently verifying these assertions, and an extensive manhunt is underway to locate Sameer’s accomplices, with many potentially being underage.
Another suspect was also reported to have been arrested by the police late on Wednesday evening, although official details remain undisclosed.
Harpreet Gill, the deceased victim, resided with his family in Bhajanpura, while his maternal uncle, Govind Singh (32), is receiving medical treatment in a hospital. The police first received information about the incident from the hospital around 11:53 pm on Tuesday. Gill had sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was tragically declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. A senior police officer revealed that the bullet had entered from the right side of his head behind the ear and exited from the opposite side. Singh, who also suffered a gunshot wound to the head, was admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital and is in the process of recuperation.
According to police inquiries, Gill and Singh were riding their motorcycles through the Subhash Vihar area at approximately 11:30 pm when the assailants, who were traveling on a scooter and a motorcycle, intercepted them and opened fire. The sound of gunshots alerted nearby residents, who subsequently found Gill lying unconscious in a pool of blood on the road. The other victim was struggling for breath and seeking assistance. An individual from the area contacted the police. It was reported that when residents came out of their houses in response to the commotion, the assailants discharged gunshots into the air before fleeing the scene.
Upon closer examination, crime and forensic teams discovered three expended 7.65mm cartridges at the location. As robbery was ruled out due to the victims’ possessions remaining intact, the authorities began to explore the possibility of personal enmity. However, no leads to a motive for murder were initially uncovered. Subsequently, investigators scrutinized footage from nearly a dozen CCTV cameras in the vicinity to trace the assailants’ movements. In one video, the attackers were observed crossing a lane on a scooter, with the rider concealing their face with a handkerchief.
The police disseminated the footage and collected local and technical intelligence that pointed to the involvement of the “Maya gang.” The homes of gang members were searched, but they were nowhere to be found. It was discovered that most of the gang members were juveniles, and official records contained no information about them. In an effort to gather information, the authorities informally reached out to a shelter home official with knowledge of juvenile offenders.
DCP (northeast) Joy Tirkey announced that a murder case had been registered, along with charges under the Arms Act, and Harpreet Gill’s body was released to his family following an autopsy.
