Rohini Court shootout's main conspirator nabbed by Delhi Police (Ld)

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Rakesh Tajpuriya, a close-aide of dreaded gangster Sunil Mann alias Tillu Tajpuriya and the main conspirator in the Rohini Court shootout case, was arrested after a brief exchange of fire here in the national capital, an official said on Wednesday.

The Rohini Court shootout, which seemed ripped from a Bollywood potboiler, took place on September 24, 2021 in which Delhi's most wanted gangster Jitender Singh Mann alias 'Gogi' was shot dead inside a courtroom by two gangsters from the rival 'Tilu' gang, dressed in lawyers' garb.

Rakesh Tajpuriya was the key conspirator and main architect in conspiring and orchestrating the killing of their fierce rival Jitender Singh as per directions of Sunil Tillu from jail. The 31-year-old accused was nabbed on the intervening night of January 11-12 near crossing at Chemical factory road, Narela Industrial area, Delhi after a brief exchange of fire.

Furnishing details about the operation, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Jasmeet Singh said that Special Cell was having an information that Rakesh Tajpuriya was frequenting in Alipur, Narela and other areas of Delhi and other adjoining NCR region and he was planning to kill a rival gangster of Jitender Gogi gang.

On January 11, the police received a tip-off about Tajpuriya being seen near Xing Chemical Factory Road, Narela Industrial area, Delhi to meet his associate and subsequently a trap was laid to nab the accused gangster.

After spotting Rakesh, the police surrounded and asked him to surrender, but he dropped his bike and fired two rounds at the members of the team. "One round was fired by a member of the police team in self defence and they immediately overpowered Rakesh Tajpuriya and disarmed him," the DCP said, adding none was injured in the encounter.

The cops recovered one semi-automatic pistol of .32 with 3 live cartridges and 3 empty shells from the accused and registered a case under relevant sections of law at the Special Cell Police Station in this regard.

According to the police, the accused Rakesh Tajpuriya is involved in more than 12 heinous criminal cases including of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, extortion, hurt, assault on police, criminal intimidation, arms act in Delhi and Haryana during the last 10 years. He was presently wanted and absconding in five heinous criminal cases i.e. 4 of murders and 1 of attempt to murder of members of rival gang including killing of Jitender Gogi in Rohini Court complex.

During interrogation, the arrested accused disclosed that he with the help of his associates had escorted both the shooters of Tillu gang to Rohini court and provided them the logistics support to execute the killing of Jitender Gogi as per the plan orchestrated by Sunil Tillu from jail. Both the shooters and arms and ammunition used in this shoot out were arranged by accused Rakesh as per directions of Sunil Tillu and he himself remained outside the court during the shoot out.