Jharkhand gangster shot dead outside gym in heart of Doon

Dehradun/Jamshedpur: A Jharkhand-based gangster allegedly involved in over 50 criminal cases and named in 2007 murder of Ashish Dey, co-owner of Sreeleathers, a prominent footwear brand headquartered in Kolkata, was gunned down by unidentified assailants outside a gym at a popular shopping complex in Dehradun's Rajpur Road area on Friday morning. Notably, this is the fifth murder reported in Dehradun district in the past 20 days.As per cops, Vikram Sharma, who ran a stone-crushing plant in Kashipur area of Udham Singh Nagar district, had an extensive criminal past. Besides the Sreeleathers' case, the 54-year-old -- considered the criminal mentor of dreaded gangster Akhilesh Singh in Jharkhand -- was named in the murder of a security officer of the Tata Steel plant in Bistupur along with other firing incidents reported in the steel city from 2002 onwards. Akhilesh is currently lodged in Dumka Central Jail. IG (Garhwal) Rajeev Swaroop told TOI: "Initial probe findings indicate the shooters were well trained. They used a 9mm pistol. A joint team comprising officers of Dehradun district police and STF has been formed to probe the case while coordinating with the police in Jharkhand."The incident took place around 10.15am, SSP Dehradun, Ajai Singh said, adding that Sharma was exiting the complex after stepping out of the gym on the first floor. When he was on the staircase, two men, apparently waiting for him, fired 2-3 rounds, and shot him in the head.At that time, most of the shops were closed with only cleaning staff around. A third assailant was waiting outside and the shooters fled with him on a motorcycle, the SSP said. Sharma was living in a rented apartment in the city's Racecourse Road area and was carrying a licensed pistol with him, but didn't get time to react. "We suspect it to be a case of gang war," SSP Singh added. A cop, privy to details, said Sharma, a specialist in martial arts and a fitness enthusiast, was known for his love for flashy clothes. He had joined the gym in Dehradun in June last year and used to attend the session around 9am. His name also featured in other high-profile criminal cases in Jamshedpur, including the murder of trader Om Prakash Kabra in 2002, killing of transporter Ashok Sharma at Keenan Stadium, firing at former Judge RP Ravi in Bistupur and local goon Ravi Chourasia in Sakchi.As police pressure mounted, Sharma fled the city and kept changing hideouts in New Delhi, Dehradun and Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested in 2017 from Dehradun in the Dey murder case, and later released from Birsa Munda central jail in Ranchi in 2021 after getting bail."Over the years, Sharma had invested heavily in real estate, transportation and mining in Jharkhand, Delhi, Noida and Dehradun," an official, privy to details, said.