New Delhi: A gangster operating from the United Kingdom is suspected to be responsible for the high-profile murder of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Nafe Singh Rathi, sources said. Three individuals have also been named in the First Information Report (FIR).
The investigation has taken an international dimension, with suspicions focusing on the potential involvement of a notorious gangster based in the UK. This individual is purported to have orchestrated political assassinations previously, including the recent killing of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Delhi.
Haryana Police will interrogate a close associate of the UK-based gangster on Tuesday, who is presently imprisoned in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
Rathi’s car was abruptly stopped at a railway crossing in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, when it was ambushed by an unidentified car on Sunday. A scene reminiscent of a movie unfolded as five individuals emerged, firing a barrage of bullets at the SUV. Rathi, aged 66, and a loyal aide were fatally shot, while two others sustained critical injuries and fought for their lives.
Rathi’s nephew, who was driving the vehicle was spared by the assailants, only to be instructed to inform the family about the incident.
The police are currently on the lookout for the elusive car, which swiftly fled the scene following the attack.
The FIR now includes three additional individuals: Virendra Rathi, Sandeep Rathi, and Rajpal Sharma, increasing the total number of suspects to 15, with 10 identified, including former BJP of Legislative Assembly Naresh Kaushik, and five unidentified. Police sources suggest that two of the newly named individuals have political connections.
Delhi Police suspects the possible participation of sharpshooters linked to imprisoned gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Kala Jathedi in the brutal murder of the INLD leader.
The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch and Special Cell, jointly investigating interstate gangster networks, have visited the crime scene in Jhajjar. At least five teams from the Special Cell and four from the Crime Branch are actively coordinating with their counterparts in Haryana to investigate the murders.
The potential involvement of other foreign-based gangsters, including Himanshu Bhau, who is suspected to be residing in Portugal, is also being considered. “It is suspected that gang members of jailed gangsters might have taken the contract to eliminate Rathi for money,” news agency PTI quoted a Delhi police official, as saying
