New Delhi, March 18 The Delhi Police have arrested three individuals, including the alleged mastermind, for allegedly staging a shooting incident in Paschim Vihar, a suburb of Delhi, with the apparent aim of extorting financiers and evading loan repayments by posing as victims of foreign-based gangsters, an official said on Wednesday.
The accused have been identified as Tapan Dass alias Vishwas (32), Sunny alias Bong (21), and Kamlesh alias Ganja (31), all residents of Sonia Camp in Paschim Vihar, the police said.
A PCR call was received on March 15 regarding a shooting incident in Paschim Vihar. Upon reaching the scene, police found two bullet marks on the iron gate of a restaurant and recovered two empty cartridges and bullet casings. No injuries were reported.
A case was registered at the Paschim Vihar East police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, and an investigation was launched.
During the investigation, CCTV footage from the area was analyzed, and photographs of the suspects were circulated locally. Based on a tip-off, one of the accused, Sunny, was apprehended near Nihal Vihar Nala on the intervening night of March 17 and 18.
During interrogation, he revealed that Tapan had hatched a conspiracy to stage the shooting incident to extort money and create fear among financiers, the police said.
Subsequently, the prime accused, Tapan, who was known to the police station in the area, was arrested from Sonia Camp.
The police said that Tapan had taken a loan of approximately Rs 13 lakh, and with the intention of evading repayment, orchestrated the shooting at his own restaurant.
"He wanted to portray himself as a target of foreign-based gangsters to gain sympathy, publicity, and establish dominance in the area, while also pressuring financiers," a senior police officer said.
Further investigation led to the arrest of the shooter, Kamlesh, who was also known to the police station in the area, and admitted to carrying out the shooting as part of the conspiracy.
A country-made pistol, two live cartridges, two empty cartridges, the scooter used in the offence, and the clothes worn during the incident were recovered from the accused, the police said, adding that further investigation is underway.