The Tribune, January 11, 2004

Court drama ends in 4 killings
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, January 10
In a shootout in the District Courts here today, four members of a rival gang opened fire on an undertrial, injuring him, and killing a constable on the spot. Chasing the miscreants, the police killed three of them in Begampur Khatola village, about 7 km from the courts. The fourth person, Deepak, was nabbed in the court earlier, immediately after the firing.

The district police chief, Mr Kuldip Singh Sihag, said the injured undertrial, Hemant was taken to Kalyani Hospital. He is said to be out of danger. When Hemant was taken out from a courtroom, the miscreants fired two rounds on him from close range. He was hit on the stomach and the bullet pierced out of his body. When the accompanying constable, Rajesh, tried to nab the culprits, they fired a shot, killing him on the spot. In the ensuing melee, another constable on duty in the adjacent room nabbed Deepak, with the help of the public and advocates. About eight rounds were fired by the accused.

The other three accused made good their escape in a Maruti car. As the police launched a hunt for them, it received reports of a car being spotted near Behrampur on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway. The police gave the vehicle a chase. According to Mr Sihag, when cornered, the miscreants abandoned the vehicle in the fields of Begampur Khatola village. When the police closed in on them, they opened fire. The police returned the fire killing them. A carbine and two 9mm revolvers were seized from the spot.

Two of them were identified as Ishwar and Rajesh. Rajesh is from Jhajjar district. Hemant was an undertrial in Bhiwani jail. He was produced in the local court pertaining to a case here. He faces several charges, including those relating to murder. He belongs to Gurgaon. According to the police, the members of a gang headed by Sandeep of Garholi village in this district, are responsible for the shootout. Sandeep is said to be nursing a grudge against Hemant. He has gone underground. The police is on the lookout for him.