NEW DELHI, Sept 24: A gangster was killed by the rival gamg members and his two assailants also were killed in return firing by the police in a high voltage dramatic incident inside a courtroom of the Rohini court in north Delhi on Friday. The cross firing also left several people injured.
The advocates attending the Rohini court regularly said there were past instances of firing in court premises but it was the first time that the incident happened inside a courtroom in the presence of a judge. The incident has raised questions about the security in the heavily protected and sanitised court precincts where high profile criminals often appear unescorted.
Gunmen dressed as lawyers, present in court, shot gangster Jitender Gogi thrice. Special force personnel escorting the gangster then fired back, killing both the attackers on the spot.
Jitender Gogi, a notorious gangster involved in over 30 criminal cases and in Tihar jail since last year, was declared dead in hospital. A rival gang, going by the name “Tillu Gang,” had plotted to kill him when he was brought for his court hearing, said the police.
“Two from rival gang opened fire at Jitender Gogi inside the court. The police acted swiftly and killed both the assailants,” Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said. According to the police, when Gogi was brought to the court, with heavy police escort, two attackers dressed as practising lawyers, complete with “collar band, black blazer and trouser and black shoes,” suddenly started firing at him.
The incident marks a huge security lapse on court premises. A lawyer said: “The judge was in court, lawyers were present and Jitender Gogi was there. These two shooters who looked like ‘lawyers’ started shooting. A woman intern was also hit by a bullet.”
The two gangs had reportedly been at war for years and more than 25 people have died in their rivalry. Gogi and Tillu Tajpuria were reportedly friends in college but fell out in 2010, and their feud turned into a gang war. Gogi, or Jitender Maan, was arrested in March last year and was considered a big catch for the Delhi police.
Gogi’s murder happened despite him being accompanied by a team of Counter Intelligence officials. The incident has raised questions about whether metal detectors at the court were working and if they were, how the armed men could get past.
“I have been told that metal detectors at the court weren’t working. Also, the accused posed as lawyers and security personnel did not frisk them. Since the 2019 Tis Hazari court clash, many policemen refrain from interacting with lawyers. Lawyers only have to walk through the metal detectors but aren’t frisked. I think the assailants knew this and had also conducted recee at the court beforehand,” a lawyer in the court said.
In 2019, lawyers and Delhi police officers clashed at Tis Hazari where at least two bullets were fired at lawyers, parts of the court were set on fire and a group of lawyers allegedly chased and manhandled police officers.
“The question on whether the metal detectors were not working in the court premises is a matter of investigation and I cannot comment on that at the moment. We are already investigating the case and we shall not spare anyone who is involved in this shootout. No one will be spared,” Asthana said.
He added: “Delhi Police is doing its job seriously. We were effective and focused and that is why the shooter was successfully neutralised. We will say more after a detailed investigation is carried out.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
