NEW DELHI: Two alleged associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang have been arrested for allegedly opening fire outside a gym linked to Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa in Delhi’s Paschim Vihar, police said on Wednesday. One of the accused had returned from Russia less than two weeks before the incident. The accused, identified as Arman (19) and Tushar alias Tashu alias Pinku (21), both residents of Haryana‘s Sonipat district, were arrested from Bahadurgarh following a manhunt, police said, according to news agency PTI. According to investigators, the duo are alleged shooters linked to gangster Anil Pandit, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who is believed to be operating from the United States. Police said two motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire outside the gym on Outer Ring Road in Paschim Vihar at around 4 am on June 11 before fleeing the spot. No injuries were reported, and seven empty cartridges were recovered from the scene. A case was subsequently registered at the Paschim Vihar East police station in outer Delhi. The incident gained attention after a social media post allegedly made by Anil Pandit went viral, claiming responsibility for the attack on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, police said. According to police, Pandit allegedly claimed that the firing at the gym was carried out by individuals associated with Guru Randhawa and referred to the singer’s purported proximity to Bollywood actor Salman Khan, whom the gang considers an adversary. Recognising a possible organised crime angle, the Crime Branch took over the investigation. Police said investigators reconstructed the assailants’ escape route, analysed technical evidence and tracked their movements across nearly 100 kilometres. The probe led to the identification of four suspects — Sahil, Sagar, Arman and Tushar. Acting on leads, police conducted raids in the Bahadurgarh area on June 15 and arrested Arman and Tushar. During interrogation, both allegedly admitted their involvement in the firing, police said. Investigators said Arman is a cousin of the two other suspected shooters, Sahil and Sagar, who remain absconding. Police further said Tushar had recently returned to India from Russia, where he had been working after travelling on a study visa. He allegedly got in touch with Sahil and Sagar shortly before the incident and became involved in the conspiracy. Both accused have been remanded to police custody and are being questioned to uncover the wider network behind the attack. Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects and recover the weapon used in the crime, police said.
