3 of ‘Hathoda gang’ arrested for killing property dealer

GURGAON: Police have arrested three members of the notorious ‘Hathoda gang’, which was allegedly behind the murder of a 28-year-old man earlier this year.
On April 12, Gyanendra, who ran a small business on properties in Palwal, was attacked with a hammer and iron rods by around 17 men outside a farmhouse in Sohna. He succumbed to the injuries.
Police said on Monday they now have seven of the accused behind bars, including the main accused Ajay, who was held on April 28. They are still looking for 10 more suspects.
They said the murder was the fallout of an old rivalry between Gyanendra and the accused. They used to be friends earlier but had parted ways months before the killing.
“One of the accused — Rohit, who had a Rs 10,000 reward on his head — was arrested on Sunday from Ghangol Mour village. A countrymade pistol and two live bullets were found in his possession. Later, our team arrested two more accused: Amit Basla and Vishal from Faridabad. They also had a countrymade pistol and two live bullets,” said ACP (crime) Varun Dahiya.
A video of the murder had circulated online after the April attack. It shows over a dozen men thrashing Gyanendra with a hammer and rods even as he pleads for mercy. Gyanendra’s cousin, who was at the spot, was held back by some of the men while the others kept striking him.
“During initial investigation, we came to know that the trio are members of the Hathora gang that is active in Gurgaon and Faridabad. The other accused in the case will be arrested soon," the ACP added.
The accused have been booked under sections 323 (causing hurt), 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder) and 148 (rioting with deadly weapon) of the IPC, apart from relevant sections under the Arms Act at the Sohna police station.
The gang got its name from its modus operandi — it would normally strike its targets with hammers. The ACP said cops are investigating how many people are part of the gang.