In a significant crackdown, the Delhi Police Special Cell has apprehended five alleged shooters connected to a notorious criminal syndicate for their involvement in the fatal shooting of a former associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Chandigarh earlier this month.
The Arrests and the Accused
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, teams from the Special Cell conducted two separate operations across the national capital on Wednesday. Additional Commissioner of Police Pramod Kushwah stated that three of the accused were first arrested near Ring Road in the Shanti Van area. Subsequently, the remaining two were apprehended near the Sarai Kale Khan bus terminal.
The police have identified the five arrested individuals as Piyush Piplani (28), Ankush Solanki (23), Kunwarbir (30), Lovepreet Singh (26), and Santokh alias Kapil Khatri (29). During the operations, law enforcement officials recovered four firearms and a substantial cache of ammunition from the suspects.
Link to High-Profile Crimes
Investigations reveal that the arrested men are allegedly key operatives of the Aarzoo-Anmol Bishnoi-Harry Boxer syndicate. They are accused of playing direct roles in the brazen daylight murder of Inderpreet Singh, popularly known as Parry, in Chandigarh's Sector 26 on December 1.
Parry was ambushed shortly after leaving a club. As he sat in his SUV, gunmen opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
According to police, Piyush Piplani acted as the lead shooter in Parry's killing. He is also implicated in the murder of national-level kabaddi player Sonu Nolta in Panchkula earlier this year. Ankush Solanki is identified as another shooter in both these cases, with a non-bailable warrant already issued against him prior to this arrest.
Kunwarbir is alleged to have driven the tail and getaway vehicle used in the Parry murder. Santokh alias Kapil Khatri was a wanted accused in the September murder of Amritsar-based bar and restaurant owner Ashu Mahajan. Lovepreet Singh, recently released on bail in a separate case, had reportedly joined the syndicate to commit further crimes.
Criminal Network and Averted Threat
The officer added that the accused have long criminal records and are involved in a slew of cases across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, including charges of murder, extortion, and violations under the Arms Act.
Police intelligence suggests that the group had arrived in Delhi in batches and were in the advanced stages of planning another major criminal act when they were intercepted. The timely arrests have potentially averted a serious crime in the national capital.
Parry, a resident of Chandigarh's Sector 33, himself had multiple criminal cases registered against him in Punjab and Chandigarh. Initially associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, he was later believed to have aligned with Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar. Following the December 1 killing, the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility via a social media post, citing revenge for the murder of their financier in Dubai.
