In a shocking case of brutal retaliation, a Delhi businessman was executed in a hail of 69 bullets in the capital's Aya Nagar area. Police investigations have now uncovered that the revenge killing was allegedly orchestrated by an aide of notorious gangster Himanshu Bhau, who is believed to be operating from the United States.
The Brutal Morning Ambush
On the morning of November 30, Ratan Lal, a resident of Aya Nagar, was on his way to his cow shed when his life was abruptly ended. According to Delhi Police, five to six assailants in a small hatchback car approached him and opened fire in a relentless assault. The victim sustained fatal injuries on the spot.
"Multiple people in a small hatchback approached Ratan Lal and opened fire. The victim died on the spot," stated DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan. The sheer volume of gunfire—69 rounds—highlights the extreme intent behind the attack, which police have classified as a revenge murder.
The Chain of Violence: A Land Dispute Turns Deadly
The roots of this violence trace back to May of this year and a bitter land dispute. Police revealed that Ratan Lal was killed to avenge the murder of another businessman, Arun Lohiya. Lohiya was allegedly gunned down by Ratan Lal's son, Deepak, in May.
"The accused, Deepak, knew Lohiya and belonged to the same village as him. They had a dispute over land in the village. It seems like a case of personal enmity," explained a police officer involved in the case. In the May incident, Lohiya was driving a Scorpio near Commander Chowk in Mehrauli when he was intercepted and shot at 10 times. He later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
The cycle of violence continued when, in June, Delhi Police apprehended Deepak and another shooter after a brief exchange of fire near the Chirag Delhi-Khanpur road. Deepak was subsequently sent to Tihar Jail.
The Revenge Plot: From Jail to a US-Based Gangster
With Deepak in jail, the quest for revenge took a more sinister turn. "Some of the family members of Arun started plotting a revenge. That's when Kamal, Arun's maternal uncle, stepped in," a police officer detailed. Kamal, a resident of Faridabad, is alleged to know Neeraj Faridpuriya, identified as a close associate of gangster Himanshu Bhau.
This connection proved fatal. "Faridpuriya then arranged for five to six members of the Bhau gang to execute Deepak's brother. But Deepak's family was aware of it, and moved his brother someplace else," the officer added. Foiled in their original target, the assailants, on November 30, came searching for Deepak's brother in Aya Nagar. Instead, they found his father, Ratan Lal, and shot him dead.
The investigation underscores the long reach of organized crime, with the planning allegedly directed from abroad by Himanshu Bhau's network, while local operatives carried out the gruesome attack. Delhi Police are continuing their probe into the interstate and international links of this case.
