A 35-year-old gym owner was shot dead on Thursday night by two bike-borne assailants at the posh neighbourhood of south Delhi’s Greater Kailash area in a suspected case of gang war.

The victim has been identified as Nadir Shah, who was reportedly a member of Rohit Chaudhary gang. He had previous criminal cases against him, including charges of robbery and attempted murder. He recently opened a gym in Greater Kailash Part 1 and wanted to live a simple life, according to sources.

The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested two persons in connection with the incident as police suspect involvement of associates of jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba in the murder. “These two are suspected to have provided logistical support to the shooters. They are being further interrogated by a team of Special Cell,” a senior officer said.

The officer said that four more people were detained and questioned in connection with the case but the main shooter is still on the run.

Shah also owned a business in Dubai and is stated to be known to some of the Delhi police officials. Sources said that at the time of the incident, some officials from the Delhi Police Special Cell, an anti-terror unit, were also present with Nadir inside the gym at the time of the incident. After the incident, all were seen running out in plain clothes.

The deceased is survived by his mother and two brothers. Shah’s father Zahir Shah hailed from Afghanistan and had shifted to Delhi several years ago. “Shah received three to four bullets in a firing done by a person. He was talking to someone outside his Sharx Gym when he was shot with multiple bullets at about 10.44 pm,” police said.

CCTV of the incident surfaced on social media in which Shah could be seen talking with a person when one of the attackers walked towards him and opened a spree of firing in a close range. The attacker fled away, as police suspect, on a motorbike on which his associate was waiting for him.

Minutes after the incident, a purported social media post from an account in the name of gangster Rohit Godara took the responsibility of Shah’s shooting. “Shooting has been instructed by a jailed criminal Sameer Baba because Shah was troubling in their business. Whoever will support our rival and trouble us will be shot like this,” the post said.

The post also mentioned names of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s associates “Rohit Godara, Goly Brar, Gogi gang and Kala Rana gang”. DCP South Ankit Chauhan said, “On Thursday at 10:57 PM, information regarding firing at GK 1, New Delhi and about an injured person being taken to Max Hospital was received at Greater Kailash police station, New Delhi.”

The police personnel on reaching the spot found some bullet projectiles and empty cartridges. On enquiry, it was found that Shah, a resident of CR Park, had suffered bullet injuries.

“The attackers came on a two wheeler, fired at him and ran away. Nadir Shah was immediately rushed to the hospital by his friends but was declared dead,” Chauhan said, adding he had received around five bullets.

The investigations are on from all possible angles, he added. The police suspect a case of rivalry but did not rule out the possibility of a gang war.