Police by his side, undertrial gunned down at Rohini court

At the crime spot, Monday. (Alok Singh)

A 30-year-old undertrial in an alleged cheating case was shot dead inside Rohini court premises on Monday while being taken for hearing. The attacker walked up behind the victim and opened fire — in presence of an assistant sub-inspector of the Third Battalion of Delhi Police escorting the undertrial.

Personnel posted with the Third Battalion are entrusted with ferrying undertrials to the court and back to jail. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rishi Pal told The Indian Express that the attacker, “in his early 20s”, is a resident of Nangloi. After he fired the fatal shot, he kept the firearm on the ground and raised his hands so police could arrest him. “He told police he had been hired by someone to kill the person, but we are verifying his claims,” said Pal. Police said they are looking into whether there was someone else at the spot to help him.

Following the shooting, Station House Officer Ashok Kumar was sent to district lines while the court’s police post in-charge, SI Narender, was put under suspension. Police identified the victim as Vinod alias Ballu.

READ | Rohini court: Not enough officers or CCTVs, say lawyers

ASI Balram, who was escorting Vinod, was the first to catch hold of the accused. “On hearing a gunshot, we rushed to the spot. I saw a person lying in a pool of blood while a country-made pistol was lying on the ground. Balram told me the person he was holding on to was the attacker. We took him inside the police post while other policemen rushed Vinod to the hospital,” said a constable. Pal said Vinod was declared brought dead in Dr Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Hospital. “He was arrested on October 30 in connection with an alleged land fraud from 2010 in Rohini,” he said.

According to sources, the accused told police he had been “shown Vinod’s photograph” by a gangster he met during a hearing at Patiala House Courts. Police said he lived with his wife and son in Nangloi and told his family he works as a driver.

Sources said Vinod was first arrested in 2010 but jumped bail. He was arrested again on October 30 this year. Police said they are yet to ascertain any link between the victim and the accused.