india

Updated: Jul 26, 2019 17:03 IST

A Delhi man hired a contract killer, gifted him an expensive Beretta pistol to use it to kill his wife’s alleged lover and keep it as a payment, police have said.

Officials said the man suspected his wife of having an affair with a businessman in his colony so he hired the killer to kill him. They said they have arrested the alleged contract killer Kulveer Dagar from southwest Delhi’s Najafgarh and also recovered the Beretta, which costs around Rs 6 lakh.

On July 23, Dagar had fired a shot at the businessman, a resident of Hari Nagar, dealing in supply of water tankers in West Delhi areas, while he was standing on the balcony of his house.

“The bullet hit the window and ricocheted off the wall. The businessman managed to escape unhurt. The attacker fled the spot. One empty shell was recovered from the crime spot. The police control room was informed about the firing after which a case was registered at the Hari Nagar police station,” said Rajiv Ranjan, additional commissioner of police (crime).

Police said it was a blind case initially because the businessman said that he did not have any business or personal rivalry. Also, he had not received any call for “extortion” or “protection money”.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Joy Tirkey said on Thursday the crime branch team received information about Dagar’s involvement in the firing. Investigators collected information about Dagar’s movements in the city and learned he would come near Deepali Chowk bus stop in the area in the evening.

The recovered Beretta pistol. ( HT photo )

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“Accordingly, a trap was laid and Dagar was caught with the Beretta pistol and two bullets,” said Tirkey.

During the interrogation, Tirkey said, Dagar confessed to firing at the businessman and revealed that he was hired by Sonu Pandit to kill the person.

“Pandit had provided him with the high-end Beretta pistol to shoot the businessman who he suspected was having an affair with his wife. The payment was the Beretta pistol itself, which is quite expensive. After the shooting, Dagar was supposed to keep the Beretta pistol as his payment,” added Tirkey.

Additional CP (crime) Ranjan said Dagar had met Pandit at a party around a month ago and the plan to kill the businessman was made a few days later. Pandit left for Haridwar for Kanwar Yatra, as per the plan.

“Dagar was supposed to kill the businessman when Pandit was in Haridwar so that the needle of suspicion would not be on him. Dagar tried but failed to execute the plan as planned. Pandit is reportedly in Haridwar. Our teams are looking for him,” said Ranjan.

Police said Dagar did a junior basic training (JBT) in teaching after Class 12 and had no regular source of income. He was arrested for assault when he was in college and jailed for 10 days.