The Delhi Police arrested three persons in connection with a sensational murder case of a shopkeeper, who are part of the Deepak Pandit gang in South-East Delhi’s Ambedkar Nagar area, police said on Tuesday.

Officials said they recovered two sophisticated pistols used in committing the crime along with two live cartridges.

The arrested accused have been identified as Shiv Kumar, Prakash and Arun. They were apprehended on January 9 from their hideouts in the area of Ambedkar Nagar itself, said DCP Romil Baaniya (South-east).

“During sustained interrogation, the accused revealed that this incident has roots in the incident of quarrel that took place in Tihar Jail on December 31 last year. In the quarrel Sahil Gupta, who is facing trial from jail in attempt to murder case of Ambedkar Nagar police station, he got injured and his associates, who were presently out of jail undertook to take revenge of attack on Sahil Gupta. Since Sharukh (brother of Nahim Malik) was being held responsible for attack on Sahil Gupta, so Nahim Malik was attacked by friends of Sahil Gupta,” said the DCP.

On January 7, one Nahim Malik, along with his friend Jitender, was standing outside Malik’s shop when two boys came with pistols in their hands and started firing on them in which Jitender sustained  multiple bullet injuries, while Nahim received bullet injuries on his hip.

After firing, the assailants fled from the spot and injured were taken to the nearby Batra hospital, where Jitender succumbed to the injuries and was declared brought dead.

Following which a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Coed was registered at Ambedkar Nagar police station. During investigation, police scanned CCTV footage in the nearby area as well as deployed local intelligence.

Police found that the murder and attempt to murder case was connected to the ongoing rivalry between two groups of Deepak Pandit and Ravi Gangwal who are presently lodged in the Tihar Jail.

“Investigation into the background of Nahim Malik, police found that his  brother Shahrukh is presently in  Tihar Jail and he is known to be an associate of Ravi Gangwal.

Recently, one Sahil Gupta associate of Deepak Pandit was beaten up by associates of Ravi Gangwal in Tihar jail in which Nahim’s brother Shahukh was also involved,” said the DCP.

Post the enquiries made with the Tihar Jail, the police team received information, on January 9 that the criminals involved in this incident were coming near entry gate of Virat ground Ambedkar Nagar New Delhi, where they were apprehended after police team laid a trap.

Three persons- Prakash, Shiv Kumar and Arun were apprehended from the spot and two pistols loaded with one cartridge each were recovered from the possession of accused Prakash and Shiv Kumar.