The Hindu : Gang war takes a new turn

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2002

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Other States - New Delhi

Gang war takes a new turn

By Devesh K. Pandey

NEW DELHI APRIL 23. The bloody war between the Anoop-Balraj and Kishan Pehlwan gangs which has been going on for the past decade has taken another new turn as the Kishan Pehlwan gang seems to have established itself in Haryana allegedly under the patronage of some local political forces.

So much so that on April 20 around 6 p.m., the Kishan Pehlwan gang chose a blank spot near the Bahadurgarh City police station to shoot down three members of the Anoop-Balraj Gang. The local police which was furlongs away from the scene of crime allegedly were not even fluttered by the incident.

On the fateful day, five members of Anoop-Balraj gang were on their way back in a Tata Indica after attending a party in Rohtak, when they were confronted by two Santro cars from both sides. The five who had incidentally left their firearms in another car following their's, were subjected to indiscriminate firing.

Three of them, Surender Singh, Kuldeep and Satish, died on the spot. The other two gang members, Sanjay, who sustained four bullets, and Ashok, had a close save.

The local police swung into action only after the "operation'' was over. According to sources in Haryana Police, Sanjay, who was struggling for life, was told that he could be taken to a hospital in Delhi only after he gave his statement. Sanjay alleged that he and others were attacked by the Kishan Pehlwan gang. But he did not mention the assailants' name, which he reportedly revealed only after he got admitted to Maharaja Agarsen Hospital.

Interestingly, the names revealed by him almost match with those disclosed by Rajesh Dahiya, an active member of the Kishan Pehlwan gang allegedly involved in the shoot-out. He was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi police from Nangloi the day the incident occurred. Taking into account the sequence of events, it is believed that Sanjay did not mention those names in his statement to the Haryana police due to some "pressure''.

Earlier, the Anoop gang which was considered stronger than its rival got weakened as over 13 active members including Anoop landed in the jail on subsequent occasions. The fact that the Kishan Pehlwan gang have of late been targetting their rival gang showing absolutely no fear of the administration suggests that it has once again been able to reconstitute its striking forces. Recently, the gang had carried out a similar attack on Anoop-Balraj gang in Sonipat near a police establishment.

Delhi police officials now fear that such attacks might lead to another tumult in Mitraoun village of Najafgarh from where it all started as a land dispute.

Meanwhile, Delhi police said on Monday, some police personnel from Punjabi Bagh police station were deployed outside the ICU where Sanjay is recuperating. Police personnel from Haryana are also deployed there. His associate, Ashok, who had also sustained bullet injuries, has been admitted to Jaipur Golden Hospital under tight security.

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