Rival gang member held for firing at jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s counsel

According to investigators, the attack was carried out on the night of February 24 when Khatri was returning after worshiping at Marghat Wale Temple, Kashmere Gate, along with his friends.

As their car reached near Rain Basea on Ring Road, assailants on a two-wheeler opened fire at them. While Khatri escaped unhurt, his close aide Sandeep sustained two bullet injuries and was rushed to hospital by the PCR staff, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said in a statement.

The cop added that during investigation, it was found that Khatri had been on the radar of Rohit Godara and his associate Goldy Brar following escalation in gang rivalry with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The rivalry intensified after the killing of Sukhdeep, alias Sippa, in Dubai in November 2025 and the subsequent murder of Inderpreet, alias Parry, a member of the Rohit Godara gang, in Chandigarh in December 2025, the DCP mentioned.

Investigaton revealed that a conspiracy to eliminate Khatri was hatched by Rohit Godara and Rohit Solanki. Solanki conducted detailed reconnaissance, tracked the victim’s movements, identified his likely locations, and coordinated with shooters arranged by the gang, he said.

The cops analysed nearly 300 CCTV cameras in and around the incident site, and footage from over 20 locations was analysed, which led to Solanki’s identification from a footage. Subsequent raids revealed that he was absconding and using SIM cards issued on fake identities while communicating through VPNs. His movements were traced across Delhi, Gurugram, Jaipur and even Bangkok, Thailand.

The police said Solanki attempted to flee abroad via Jaipur, but was deported from Bangkok after immigration officials found him suspicious. He was eventually apprehended from Majra Dabas village in Outer Delhi during a joint operation.

During sustained interrogation, Solanki disclosed his criminal trajectory, stating that he was introduced to gang networks in 2019 and later became involved in handling illegal operations for jailed gang leaders. Acting on directions received through encrypted communication linked to Rohit Godara, Solanki gathered intelligence on Deepak Khatri and finalised the attack plan after a failed earlier attempt in Dehradun.

On the day of the incident, Solanki identified the target near the temple, after which the shooters opened fire before fleeing the scene.

The police further revealed that while fleeing, the accused abandoned a scooty and a Glock pistol near Rajghat. The weapon was later found by a truck driver, who accidentally discharged it in Patparganj Industrial Area, injuring a co-worker.

This led to the recovery of the firearm and the registration of a separate FIR at the Patparganj police station, Industrial Area. The scooty used in the crime was also traced back to Solanki through its owner.