Rohini court shootout: Two held from safehouse for shooters, CCTV shows car

NEW DELHI: The investigation into Friday’s shootout inside a Rohini court has led the cops to a getaway car and its driver, who was to escort the two shooters to a safehouse, a flat around 3km away from the court, after their escape from the crime scene.
The original plan, sources said, required the shooters to create a stampede-like situation in the court by firing multiple shots in the air after killing Gogi.
They had been asked to take hostage a lawyer or litigant, if required, and storm out of the court so that they could be driven to the safehouse. But the plan unravelled with the cops shooting back at the assailants almost immediately.
Delhi Police on Saturday apprehended two suspects and are interrogating them to get to the others who were part of the plot. The duo — Umang and Vinay — are occupants of the flat in question and are accused of harbouring the shooters, a source said. The flat was rented a few months ago and was used by the shooters to conduct reconnaissance of the court premises, finalise the escape route and carry out a dry run.
Cops to quiz key gangsters for Gogi murder inside court
An old member of slain gangster Gogi's gang told TOI on Saturday that they had identified one of Sunil Tajpuria's henchman, a gym trainer, who was present outside the court with the getaway vehicle to help the shooters flee. He vowed revenge. The policemen had also spotted a suspicious vehicle during analysis of CCTV footage from the cameras around the court.
Crime Branch sleuths visited the crime scene on Saturday and will soon move to interrogate gangsters Sunil Tajpuria, alias Tillu, Sunil Rathi, Naveen Bali and Neeraj Bawana.
TOI has in possession the FIR lodged by Delhi Police on a complaint by SI Vir Singh from the 3rd battalion of Delhi Armed Police, which escorts criminals from jail to court. The cop has said in the FIR that several innocent people could have lost their lives if there was no immediate police retaliation against the two assailants.
SI Singh, who was part of the team engaged in the exchange of fire, said in his statement that since the two assailants were armed and were firing indiscriminately, it was not possible for the police team to nab them "physically", especially when the judge, court staff and advocates were inside the courtroom and anyone could have died.
Singh's team had brought the very-high-risk undertrial Gogi to Rohini court from Tihar as he had to be produced for his case hearing on Friday afternoon. They were also accompanied by police personnel from the Special Cell.
According to the FIR, additional sessions judge Gagandeep Singh was engaged in court proceedings and the court staff and around 5-6 advocates were inside the room when suddenly two men, who were dressed as lawyers and were seated, stood up, whipped out their pistols and started firing.
Keeping in mind the safety and security of everyone, Singh and his commandos — constables Shakti and Chirag — immediately opened fire at the two men. Simultaneously, personnel from the special cell and the Rohini special staff also fired, the FIR states. The incident left three persons — gangster Jitender Gogi and the two shooters, Rahul and Jaideep — dead on the spot.
During interrogation, accused Umang has told the cops that he was also present at the court on Friday, wearing a lawyer’s attire to help the two shooters. He said that Gogi’s rival, Sunil Tajpuria, had asked him to help the two shooters in an assignment. The shooters came to his flat on September 20. On Friday morning, they went to a mall in Rohini to change into the lawyer’s attire. Umang being an LLB student already had the dress.