Out on bail, gangster Ashok Rathi shot dead by 3 men inside home

ACP (Crime) Preetpal Sangwan said the three accused — Narendra, Rohit Dagar and Salim — were Rathi’s aides. “The three were a part of Rathi’s gang and worked closely with him. Narendra and Dagar are from the same village as Rathi, while Salim hails from a neighbouring village. They met daily, including on Saturday,” he said.

Rathi’s brother Mahesh (41) said, “Ashok’s three friends came home to meet him in the morning. The four of them were talking for 10-15 minutes and then the three took out their weapons and shot Ashok. It happened in front of me.”

As per the FIR, filed at Bhondsi police station, Salim shot Rathi in the chest, Narendra shot him in the ear and hand, and Dagar shot him in the waist. The FIR, filed based on Mahesh’s complaint, read: “Ashok fell on the floor while the three ran away. We rushed Ashok to a private hospital and later to Medanta Hospital.” Police said that Rathi died at Medanta hospital around 3 pm during treatment, and was unable to record a statement.

Rathi’s brother Mahesh levelled allegations against gangster Leelu Dagar in the FIR, and alleged that the murder was planned. “We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the murder. Leelu Dagar’s name has cropped up and it’s being investigated, among other angles,” said Sangwan.

In 1999, Rathi, who was then 23, entered the world of crime with three FIRs registered against him. By 2001, he had established himself as a known criminal in the area.

In 2014, Rathi was convicted of killing his mother-in-law and brother-in-law, allegedly over property. Two years later, he killed his wife Sushma while she was returning home after dropping off their daughter to the school bus stop. Police said that Rathi was convinced that she was having an affair, and that in 2015 she had filed at FIR at Bhondsi police station alleging Rathi had called her from prison and threatened to kill her. Sangwan said that Rathi had been out on bail since July this year.

“We have formed five teams to look for the three accused, and are looking for CCTV footage from the area,” said police.

Sangwan said there were 46 cases against Rathi, of which at least 30 were still being investigated or were at the trial stage. He had been convicted in four cases, including the murder of his mother-in-law and brother-in-law.