Notorious gangster Vinay Tyagi succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning at AIIMS Rishikesh, three days after being shot at by two former members of his own gang. The brazen attack took place while Tyagi was being transported to Laksar court in a police vehicle that got caught in a traffic jam.
The Fatal Attack and Immediate Aftermath
The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 27, 2025. According to police sources, the assailants, identified as Sunny Yadav and Ajay Sain, opened fire at close range while the police van was immobilized in congestion. Tyagi sustained critical gunshot wounds to his shoulder, hand, and chest, which also caused severe internal organ damage. He was placed on ventilator support but could not survive.
Haridwar Rural SP Shekhar Chand Suyal stated that the motive behind the killing was revenge, alleging that Tyagi had refused to share loot from previous crimes, which led the duo to plot against him. Following a post-mortem examination, his body was handed over to his family.
A Long Criminal History and Recent Arrest
Vinay Tyagi, who hailed from Muzaffarnagar and was raised in Meerut, had a sprawling criminal record. He faced approximately 60 cases across multiple cities including Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Haridwar, Ghaziabad, Delhi, and Dehradun. His charges ranged from murder and attempted murder to extortion, dacoity, and violations of the Arms Act and the Gangster Act. His earliest recorded case was a kidnapping charge dating back to 1985.
At the time of the attack, Tyagi was under arrest in connection with a forgery and fraud case. Police investigations revealed that both accused, Yadav and Sain, are from Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar and had previously been jailed in a dacoity case that also allegedly involved Tyagi.
Police Lapses and Family Allegations
The killing has raised serious questions about security protocols. Three police officers accompanying Tyagi have been suspended for alleged negligence. Sources explained that the escort team was armed with long-range weapons, which were ineffective in the crowded, close-quarter scenario. They could not return fire due to the risk to civilians.
Police claimed to have recovered a country-made pistol and a .32 bore firearm with three live cartridges from the suspects. Preliminary investigations have not found links to a larger gang conspiracy.
This incident follows allegations made months earlier by Tyagi's family. They claimed he was being framed and targeted "to save other individuals" in a September case involving the theft of gold and silver worth Rs 4 lakh. The family had even alleged there was "a plan to kill Vinay while taking him to court" and pointed fingers at the involvement of Uttarakhand Police.
