A Delhi Police constable sustained fatal bullet injuries and an undertrial, Irfan, alias Chhenu Pehalwan, was critically hurt when a group of “contract killers”, all suspected to be minors, opened fire inside a courtroom in Karkardooma in East
Delhi on Wednesday around 11 am. Police detained four accused, including a juvenile, apprehended for a murder case last year.
Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Sunil Gupta’s himself escaped death by a whisker as a bullet grazed past his chair. The Naib Court, a Delhi Police constable, deployed in courtroom, too sustained bullet injuries. Police said 11 rounds were fired by the criminals.
The Delhi Government announced `1 crore as ex-gratia to the family of slain
Delhi Police Constable Ram Kanwar Meena.
Meena was escorting Irfan to the court when criminals opened fire and he was shot three times in the chest and died on the spot.
Constable Meena was attached with the 3rd battalion of
Delhi Armed Police.
lawyers present on the court premises managed to apprehend two of the shooters, while two others were later nabbed by the police.
Irfan, who was hit twice, is battling for his life in Max Hospital. The police are looking for another youth who is believed to be a co-accused and some lawyers had seen him videotaping the firing inside the courtroom.
Police sources said that the shooters were alleged to have been hired by the rival Nasir Gang. It leader Nasir Iqbal, alias Khabar Hayat, is lodged in Tihar Jail. Sources said the four had earlier also planned to eliminate Irfan on December 14 when the latter was being taken a Amroha city court in Uttar Pradesh.
Irfan had killed a member of the Nasir gang in South Delhi recently. The four juveniles entered the court number 73 through the entrance for lawyers and attacked Irfan before anybody could even comprehend their motive.
A witness alleged that the security of the court was in place but there is no frisking at the lawyers’ entrance.
A senior police officer said they are investigating as to how the assailants managed to get inside the court with arms by dodging layers of security. Police added that a
country-made pistol was recovered from the spot, while another pistol was recovered from a toilet.
According to police, the four assailants waited for Irfan to enter the courtroom before opening fire.
They fired around ten rounds inside the court, police said. They tried to escape, but were surrounded by lawyers and police inside the court.
Irfan has a criminal background and hails from Seelampur in the Trans-Yamuna area.