3 sharpshooters held for attacking Delhi shopkeeper, friend

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested three sharpshooters of a gang which was involved in a murder of a shopkeeper and his friend here, an officer said.

According to the police, the accused sharpshooters identified as Shiv Kumar, 24, a resident of Tigri, Prakash, 22, and their associate, Arun, 22, resident of Sangam Vihar in south Delhi, worked for the Deepak Pandit gang.

They were arrested on Monday night from their hideout at old Viraat Cinema in Dakshinpuri during a police raid after they came to meet one another, the police officer said.

He said on Saturday the gang members fired eight rounds at shopkeeper Nahim Malik and his friend Jitender at his shop in Dakshinpuri. After firing, the attackers escaped.

Jitender and Nahim were rushed to Batra Hospital, but Jitender died on the way, a senior police officer said.

"While investigating the case, the police identified the accused sharpshooters after examining the CCTV footage of nearby shops. On a tip-off by local sources, police reached the conclusion that the incident had links with the ongoing rivalry between the two gangs of Deepak Pandit and Ravi Gangwal, who are presently lodged in Tihar Jail," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Romil Banniya said.

"During interrogation, the accused persons told police that they attacked Nahim Malik in connection with a quarrel, in which their associate Shahil Gupta, who is facing trial from jail in an attempt to murder case, was attacked by Nahim Malik's brother Sharukh, a gang member of Gangwal, in Tihar Jail," Banniya added.

The attck on Nahim was an act of revenge, the police officer said.