In a shameless display of gang violence, 5 suspects have been arrested including two former J&K police officers. They have been arrested in connection to the daylight murder of Rajesh Dogra which took place in broad daylight near CP 67 Mall, Mohali.
As per information, Dogra,41 was the leader of the Bakra gang, and was involved in a feud with Billu gang, led by Anil Singh, an ex-cop of Jammu and Kashmir, who was also believed to be the mastermind behind the shootout. The whole incident was to inherit dominance in the Jammu underworld.
Mohali police have arrested five suspects in retrospect to the Rajesh Dogra shootout- Anil Singh, Harpreet Singh from Meerut, Satvir Singh from Pilibhit, Sandeep Singh from Fatehgarh, and Sham Lal from Udhampur. All the accused were presented in court and remanded to police custody until 14th March.
Police are also searching for three more suspects- the shooters identified as Rimpy and Sandeep(alias Raja) from Jammu, and Manjit Singh, native of Jind residing in Zirakpur.
Police have also recovered a significant amount of weapons including three pistols, two revolvers, one rifle and 71 live rounds of ammunition. Addition to that four luxury vehicles also apprehended by the police, believed to be used in the crime. Notably, all the four vehicles are registered under fake addresses, raising questions about the depth of the planning for this assassination.
The investigation also revealed a large sum of money – approximately Rs 1 crore – that was used into planning. The money is used to plan the logistics, acquiring weapons, and securement of vehicles for the execution. An amount of Rs 35 lakh is also being traced linking to Sandeep, an associate of Dogra. Investigators believed that Sandeep may have tipped off the assailants about Dogra’s movements further leading to the ambush.
It is believed that the deadly encounter was a result of longstanding rivalry between the Billu and Bakra gangs, dating back to 2006. Dogra was recently released from the prison after serving a 12-year sentence. Seeking complete control over Jammu, Anil Singh planned the whole assassination. To ensure success of the operation, Singh recruited shooters from Jamm, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, aiming to eliminate potential recognition. This was the second attempt on Dogra’s life after the first attempt failed, back in 2015 in Jammu.
While the arrest of 5 suspects marks a significant development, the investigation is still ongoing. Police have formed three special teams to capture the remaining fugitives. Their search area spans over 3,000 kilometres, encompassing Jammu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and even extending to Nepal Border.
Furthermore the authorities are also investigating the role of the two associates, particularly Rajeev Sharma (alias Bunty), who accompanies Dogra from Jammu.
The daylight shootout has terrorized the residents of Mohali. This has raised concern about the security from gang violence in public spaces. Hence to reignite people’s trust in the police department it is necessary for the authorities to not only apprehend the remaining suspects but also to dismantle the network fueling these deadly rivalries.
