Gangster being taken to court from jail shot multiple times inside police van in Roorkee

Roorkee: Vinay Tyagi, a gangster in police custody, was shot by masked assailants on Wednesday while being transported in a police SUV from Roorkee jail to Laksar court for a hearing. The 57-year-old sustained bullet injuries to his neck, chest and one arm and is undergoing treatment. Two police constables escorting him were also injured.Police said the incident took place around 11am when the vehicle carrying Tyagi was caught in a traffic jam on the Laksar market flyover after a sugarcane trolley entered the road. Suddenly, two masked men on a motorcycle appeared and fired multiple rounds at the police vehicle, targeting Tyagi, who was seated inside. One of the assailants got off the motorcycle and opened fire at close range before fleeing with his accomplice.Police have not disclosed the motive behind the attack, though it is suspected to be linked to gang rivalry. Tyagi hails from Khaikhedi village in Muzaffarnagar district, near the Haridwar border, and is a known associate of gangster Sunil Rathi. Rathi has a long-standing rivalry with Roorkee-based gangster Chinu Pandit, who has been lodged in Roorkee jail since July 2024."We cannot say anything about the motive behind the incident at this stage. However, since the firing took place while he was in police custody, we are treating it as a serious incident and will arrest the attackers at the earliest," said SSP Pramendra Singh Dobal.Following the shooting, police intensified barricading and checking across the district to trace the attackers. Tyagi was facing trial in a fraud case at the ACJM court in Laksar, said police. He has a bounty of Rs 50,000 on his head and has over 60 serious criminal cases registered against him across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, including those of murder, attempted murder, extortion, assault and theft. In Oct, Dehradun police had arrested him along with three associates in connection with the theft of jewellery worth Rs 4 lakh and cash from a friend's car, after which action under the Gangster Act was initiated. He was transferred from Dehradun jail to Roorkee jail on Dec 12.