Police probing Lawrence Bishnoi gang claims of killing Delhi businessman

A day after a businessman was shot dead by gunmen in the Bawana industrial area in Delhi after a chase, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang on Tuesday, 10 February, claimed responsibility for the killing.

The claim was made in a social media post, which police said is being verified.

Multiple teams have been formed to ascertain the authenticity of the claim and track the assailants, police said.

According to the post made by an account with the username "Randeep Malik Anil Pandit", the killing was executed on behalf of Lawrence Bishnoi, Jitender Gogi Maan, Hashim Baba and Kala Rana gangs.

It alleged that the victim, Vaibhav Gandhi, was "interfering" in the gangs' activities.

The post in Hindi and English further said that this incident was a warning that anyone who obstructed their operations would be eliminated.

Gandhi, a 35-year-old plastic granules manufacturer, was shot dead on Monday afternoon near his factory in Bawana, police said.

The shooting took place around 12.51 pm when he was standing outside his factory with a laptop bag. Preliminary investigation suggests that three motorcycle-borne assailants approached him and attempted to snatch the bag, they said.

"When the victim tried to escape, the assailants chased him for about 40 to 50 metre and fired multiple rounds. One bullet struck him in the chin, causing him to collapse," a senior police officer said.

The attackers fled the spot with the victim's belongings. Gandhi was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said.

Initially, police suspected the incident to be a case of a robbery gone wrong. However, social media posts shifted the focus of the probe towards possible extortion and organised crime, the officer said.

Multiple teams have been constituted to investigate the case. The teams are examining CCTV footage from the Bawana industrial area to identify the shooters and reconstruct their escape route.

Police are also analysing the digital footprint of the social media accounts mentioned in the post—Randeep Malik and Anil Pandit USA—to ascertain their origin and links to known gang members, officials said.

They said the Special Cell has been roped in due to the alleged involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has been linked to several high-profile killings across the country.

(With agency inputs)