New Delhi, Sep 25 Delhi Police has foiled an alleged plot to murder a Bawana-based man and arrested five people, including a 20-year-old IGNOU student, who were allegedly acting at the behest of wanted criminal Nitin Dabas alias Vicky Hadal, suspected to be operating from Canada, officials said on Friday.
Police recovered five pistols, 10 live cartridges and a stolen motorcycle allegedly being used in the conspiracy, they said.
According to police, the intended target was allegedly a relative of Hadal and was being targeted over a longstanding family rivalry and dispute in their village.
The case came to light after a woman approached police on September 4, alleging that some men were trailing her husband and conducting reconnaissance in a car, police said.
Acting on the information, police developed intelligence that two armed men from Haryana were moving in the area. Police intercepted the suspects in Pooth Khurd on September 18.
The two men, identified as Rinku and Sumit, both 29 and residents of Panipat, were allegedly found riding a stolen motorcycle. Two illegal firearms and four live cartridges were recovered from them, police said.
During interrogation, the two allegedly disclosed that they were in contact with Ishu, a 20-year-old resident of Sultanpur Dabas, who had contacted them in connection with the planned attack.
Police said their investigation also revealed a financial transaction between Ishu and Rinku in connection with the alleged operation. Rinku and Sumit had allegedly already supplied illegal arms and ammunition to Ishu, they said.
The two also allegedly told investigators that Keshav alias Nonu, 19, was expected to join them and assist in identifying the intended target.
Keshav was subsequently apprehended, and one illegal firearm and two live cartridges were recovered from him, police said.
Ishu and another associate, Sagar Dabas, 25, were also arrested during the investigation, taking the total number of arrests to five.
Police said their probe revealed alleged links between the accused and the criminal network of Nitin Dabas, alias Vicky Hadal.
Ishu and Keshav were allegedly in regular contact with Hadal through internet-based encrypted calling applications, including VoIP services, officials said.
According to police, the accused were allegedly planning to rope in more people to execute the attack and were involved in reconnaissance of the intended target.
Police suspect that Hadal, who is currently based in Canada, has been recruiting and engaging local youths to carry out criminal activities on the ground. The alleged involvement of persons operating from outside India is being investigated, they said.
An FIR has been registered at Bawana police station under the Arms Act.
The probe is underway to identify other associates, establish the complete financial and communication trail, ascertain the source of the illegal firearms and determine the exact role of each accused, police said.
(PTI News)
