NEW DELHI: Fresh details have emerged in the brutal murder of businessman Ratan Kumar, who was shot 69 times by a group of assailants in Chattarpur Enclave on November 30 while he was on his way to his dairy, police said.
Investigators suspect the hit was orchestrated by two gangsters operating from abroad at the behest of the family of another businessman who was allegedly killed seven months ago by Kumar’s son, Deepak. Police believe the latest killing was an act of retaliation.
One of the main shooters has been identified as Anuj alias Fighter. According to police sources, one set of shooters was arranged by gangsters Himanshu Bhau and Neeraj Faridpuria, while the remaining hitmen were linked to Uttar Pradesh-based gangster Randeep Bhati.
Faridpuria, a native of Haryana and a former member of the Bambiha gang, is now believed to be working for Bhau. He faces more than 25 criminal cases and allegedly fled India in 2019, travelling to Canada via Dubai. Bhau is reportedly based in Portugal.
Police have identified five of the suspected hitmen, all of whom are absconding, and lookout circulars have been issued to trace them.
Kumar’s daughter, Deepika, said her brother Deepak had gone astray and that the family had severed ties with him long before the murder. She said her father had even issued a public notice through newspapers, formally disowning Deepak and barring him from inheriting family property, stating that he would not be responsible for his son’s actions or liabilities.
Despite distancing himself from his son, Kumar continued to receive threats, Deepika said, adding that the family has not been provided police protection even weeks after the murder. A senior police officer, however, said the family had not sought security cover.
After Deepak was arrested and jailed for the May 24 murder of the businessman in Chattarpur, Kumar had filed a police complaint naming 13 people and expressing fear for his life. In that complaint, he reiterated that he had cut all ties with his son.
According to the family, Deepak and the slain businessman were once friends and partners in property dealings but fell out about two years ago after a violent altercation. Deepak allegedly carried out the earlier murder as an act of revenge, police said.
