Gangster chaos: Shots fired at Delhi sweet shop, extortion slip links attack to Deepak Boxer

NEW DELHI: Armed men on a bike fired shots at a sweet shop in west Delhi's Nangloi on Saturday morning, putting police units on high alert. The shooters left behind an extortion slip in the name of gangster Deepak Boxer before fleeing without resistance.

The incident occurred just hours after two other extortion-related shootings in the city, raising concerns about police effectiveness. The attack sent shockwaves through the local community.

"Around 9.32 am, two unidentified individuals on a two-wheeler opened fire outside Roshan's shop, located at Nangloi Sultanpur Mod," a senior police officer said.

The brazen incident was captured on CCTV installed at the shop.

Witnesses described the suspects as having their faces covered. The duo allegedly fired 3-4 rounds, shattering a glass window before escaping.

Police responded quickly, rushing to the scene. Upon investigation, officers recovered three empty cartridge cases and two live rounds.

"We have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident," said a senior police officer.

Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing eyewitnesses to identify the culprits.

Boxer's name being linked to the shooting suggests involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi group. Bishnoi is known to be allied with Boxer and his associate, Kala Jathedi.

Boxer was earlier involved in the 2022 murder of builder-hotelier Amit Gupta, a crime reminiscent of the recent killing of businessman Nadir Shah in GK-I.

While on the run, Boxer was reportedly aided by Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, as Boxer had promised to carry out killings for them. Boxer even communicated with Bishnoi in jail a few times, following Brar's instructions, using apps like Signal and Telegram. Police traced his location by tracking the internet IP addresses he used.

Originally from Sonipat, Boxer had been leading the notorious Gogi gang since its kingpin, Jitender Gogi, was killed in a 2021 shootout. Like many other gangsters, he fled abroad in Jan 2023 on a forged passport after police intensified their pursuit.

Boxer had planned to use the "donkey route" — an illegal immigration method involving travel through multiple countries — to enter the US. He made stops in Dubai, Almaty, Turkey, Paramaribo, Panama City, El Salvador, and Costa Rica before reaching Cancun, Mexico.

His intention was to join his associates in the US and continue running his organised crime operations in Delhi and neighbouring states. However, informants within his human trafficking network tipped off police about his escape plan. Delhi Police's Special Cell tracked him down and brought him back in an operation executed with clinical precision.