Aya Nagar murder: Cops identify shooter, probe Bhau gang link

A day after 28-year-old Vijay Kumar was shot dead outside the gym he owned in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar, police said on Tuesday that they have identified one of the two alleged shooters and are probing whether the Himanshu Bhau gang arranged the hit at the behest of another criminal gang, the Neeraj Faridpuria-Randeep Bhati gang

Police said Vijay’s murder was the third killing allegedly linked to a two-year-old property feud between two Aya Nagar families, with the rivalry purportedly drawing in two criminal gangs — one led by Neeraj Faridpuria and Randeep Bhati and the other by gangster Rohit Chaudhary, senior officers said.

More than 110 rounds have been fired in the three murders since May 2025, police said.

Police identified the suspect in the latest killing by his first name, Ankush, and said he allegedly fired nearly 22 rounds at Vijay around 10am on Monday. A social media post purportedly by the Himanshu Bhau gang surfaced later in the day, claiming responsibility for the killing, investigators said.

More than 10 teams from the Delhi Police special cell, crime branch and south district are investigating the murder, following the alleged involvement of the Himanshu Bhau gang.

Investigators said they obtained footage showing the two alleged assailants fleeing on a black TVS Apache motorcycle. The rider was wearing a black helmet, while the pillion rider was wearing a yellow cap and carrying a backpack. Police said the footage helped them identify one of the suspects. The motorcycle was found to be carrying a fake registration number, indicating that it may have been stolen, officers said.

Police said Ankush was allegedly the main shooter in Vijay’s killing. Preliminary verification of his antecedents pointed to his alleged association with the Himanshu Bhau gang through the Neeraj Faridpuria-Randeep Bhati gang.

“Our preliminary probe has revealed that the two killers were allegedly arranged by the Himanshu Bhau gang to execute Vijay at the behest of the Neeraj Faridpuria-Randeep Bhati gang. The gang provided them logistical support in terms of arms and ammunition and the motorcycle used in the crime. The attackers fled towards Faridabad after killing Vijay. We have reasons to believe that more people were involved in the murder conspiracy and the killers received local support. One such local support has been identified and is under surveillance,” said an investigator, requesting anonymity.

The first of the three killings took place on May 15, 2025, when 24-year-old property dealer Arun Lohiya was shot dead while returning home with his father, Ramveer Lohiya, after attending a court hearing in an attempted murder case.

Police said Arun was travelling in a Mahindra Scorpio when two motorcycle-borne assailants fired at least 10 rounds at him, killing him on the spot.

Police subsequently arrested three people in connection with the murder — Arun’s former business partner Deepak Lohiya, Yogesh and Ajay Kumar, Vijay’s brother.

Police said Arun’s maternal uncle Kamal Adhana had pledged during his nephew’s cremation to avenge his death by killing a member of Deepak’s family.

“Adhana, with alleged ties to the Neeraj Faridpuria-Randeep Bhati gang, purportedly fulfilled his pledge by gunning down Deepak’s father Ratan Lal Lohiya, the dairy owner, on the morning of November 30, while he was out on a walk in Aya Nagar. The attackers came in two cars and fired nearly 80 bullets. Ratan’s autopsy report confirmed that 69 bullets hit him,” the second officer said, adding that investigators could not establish any direct involvement of Ratan in Arun’s murder.

The officer said investigators had similarly found no direct involvement of Vijay in Arun’s murder. His killing on Monday has now prompted police to revisit the links between the two sides and determine what triggered the latest hit.

Investigators are also examining the fact that Vijay’s assailants had fled towards Faridabad, the same direction taken by Ratan’s killers. Police suspect that Adhana, who is currently in jail, may have had a role in the latest killing as well.

“We are planning to interrogate Adhana and others arrested in Ratan’s murder case to ascertain their role in Vijay’s murder,” the officer added.

- Karn Pratap Singh has been writing on crime, policing, and issues of safety in Delhi for almost a decade. He covers high-intensity spot news, including terror strikes, serial blasts and security threats in the national capital.Read More