Deepak Bhardwaj (62), who contested the 2009 lok Sabha elections on a BSP ticket, was gunned down inside his plush farmhouse in South Delhi’s Rajokri on Tuesday morning by three unidentified “contract killers”.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the incident occurred around 8.55 am. The three accused who came in a dark grey Skoda intruded his farmhouse, ‘The Nitesh’, pretending that they had come there for a booking the place for a marriage.
Gaining the access, they headed towards the lawn where Bhardwaj was having his morning stroll. The killers appeared to be hardened contract killers. They pumped two bullets into Bhardwaj from point blank range and fled in the car unchallenged. The CCTV footage in possession of the South district police shows the accused rushing towards their car after the fatal attack.
Bhardwaj was a real estate tycoon who had declared assets of Rs600 crore, making him the richest candidate in the 2009 elections.
“One of the assailants mentioned his name, Sumant in the entrance register and also wrote his cell phone number and address of Vijay Vihar in Ghaziabad, which were later found to be forged,” a senior police officer said.
After mentioning their details, they entered inside the sprawling 35-acre farmhouse and parked their vehicle in cemented lawn no-2 area of the house which is barely 200 metres away from the main gate. “Two assailants came out of the car and entered inside the lawn area where Bhardwaj was walking and shot him twice at point blank range,” the officer added.
Police said that the footage, which shows the presence of shooters in the farmhouse for a good 20 minutes. “The two killers can be seen entering the farmhouse at 8.55 am in their car after having a word with the guard. They walked up to Bhardwaj, shoot him twice and then they can be seen brandishing pistols, opening the exit gate and fleeing in their car towards Gurgaon at 9.15 am,” the officer added.
Police said that two rounds were fired at him from a country-made pistol. One bullet hit him in his chest and another in the head. All bullets just pierced his body and exited. A profusely bleeding Bhardwaj was immediately rushed to Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi Cantonment area where he succumbed to injuries. His body has been sent to the mortuary of AIIMS.
“The number of the car used by the criminals was Dl-3CA-7062, which was later found to be a forged one as the car number was originally registered for a Red Maruti van and registered in the name of Savitri Rathore, a resident of Trilok Puri. However, the vehicle is yet to be traced,” an officer said.
Bhardwaj, a BCom degree holder was engaged in the businesses of real estate, hotels and education. “His family stays away from him. His wife and son stay at Dwarka. Bhardwaj was residing in the farmhouse for the last seven years,” the officer added.
Bhardwaj had contested the 2009 lok Sabha elections on a BSP ticket from West Delhi constituency but lost to Congress’ Mahabal Mishra. He also runs two schools in Dwarka called Shiksha Bharti Public School.
According to the 2009 affidavit he filed with Election Commission, he owned agricultural land worth Rs368.22 crore while his wife had land worth Rs100.35 crore. Bhardwaj owned buildings worth Rs28.75 crore besides other assets.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said, “Around 8.55 am on Tuesday when three people came in a dark grey Skoda car at the place called The Nitesh situated at National Highway-8. They entered that place and said that they were here for a marriage booking because marriage ceremonies took place there. They entered and went inside started talking to Deepak Bhardwaj and shot him twice at point blank range due to which he died later.
We have a video footage showing the people who came in a car and other clues. I hope we will solve this case very soon”, the police chief said. Meanwhile, a case of murder was registered at Vasant Kunj (South) police station. Several police teams have been pressed into service and information has been shared with the police of the neighbouring States, a police official involved in the investigation said.