Delhi police arrest three in Chandni Chowk

Delhi Police said three men were arrested after investigators alleged a Chandni Chowk tenant arranged for himself to be shot in the thigh to pressure his landlord in an eviction dispute. Police said the case began on May 10, when Avinash Kumar reported that an unidentified gunman had entered his rented house in Kucha Bulaki Begum in the Cycle Market area and opened fire. Officers recovered blood stains and two empty cartridges from the spot and took Kumar to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital, according to police accounts carried by Indian media. By May 17, police said the complaint had unraveled into what they described as a planned extortion bid involving Kumar and two associates. ### How did the case first come to police? May 10 was the date Kumar told police an assailant had entered his rented premises around 10:30 p.m. and shot him in the right thigh, according to police statements reported by Hindustan Times and other outlets. The complaint was registered at Kotwali police station, and investigators began treating it as a shooting by an unknown attacker. (hindustantimes.com) Kucha Bulaki Begum in Chandni Chowk was the location police said they examined after the report. Officers said they found physical evidence at the scene, including two spent cartridges, and launched a joint investigation involving Kotwali police station and the district’s AATS unit. ### What made investigators doubt the original shooting claim? (hindustantimes.com) More than 200 CCTV cameras were reviewed during the investigation, according to police statements cited by Times Now Navbharat and Indian Express. Investigators said the footage showed a suspect leaving the house, boarding an auto-rickshaw and traveling toward Kashmere Gate ISBT, which allowed officers to reconstruct the route backward and identify additional leads. (kalingatv.com) A white Scorpio vehicle became a key lead after police said they traced the route from the auto-rickshaw to another vehicle. Police identified the vehicle as linked to Deepak Kumar and later used social media and technical surveillance to identify another suspect, Lokesh Dahiya, according to the same accounts. (timesnowhindi.com) ### Who did police arrest, and what do they allege? Delhi Police said Avinash Kumar, 42, was arrested along with Lokesh Dahiya and Deepak Kumar. Police alleged Kumar was not the victim of an outside attack but the “mastermind” of the plan, and said he conspired with the other two men to have himself shot and then portray it as an assault by unknown attackers. (timesnowhindi.com) Sonipat in Haryana was where police said Dahiya was arrested on May 15. Police said clothes and slippers allegedly worn during the incident were recovered from him, while Deepak Kumar was also taken into custody and the Scorpio vehicle was seized. ### What motive are police alleging? (hindustantimes.com) Police said the alleged motive was a property dispute between Kumar and his landlord. According to police accounts reported by Hindustan Times and Indian Express, Kumar had been under pressure to vacate the rented property and had also filed a civil case in Tis Hazari court. (timesnowhindi.com) Police alleged Kumar planned the shooting to build pressure on the landlord, delay eviction and extract a settlement. That account is the police version of events; no court finding establishing the allegation was cited in the reports reviewed. ### What did police say they recovered? A country-made pistol, two magazines and 14 live cartridges were recovered from Kumar’s house, police said in statements reported by multiple outlets. (hindustantimes.com) Police also said they seized the Scorpio vehicle allegedly used in the operation. Kotwali police station in north Delhi is handling the case, according to the police accounts. (hindustantimes.com) Indian media reports published on May 17 said the three accused had been arrested and that further legal proceedings in the case were continuing. (rediff.com)