New Delhi, India — A 26-year-old man was fatally shot in a crowded Burger King in West Delhi, a grim act that investigators believe may link back to a bitter gang rivalry and a revenge plot hatched years after an earlier murder in Haryana. The incident, which left the local community reeling, underscores the ongoing issues of law enforcement in managing gang violence, which appears to be spreading its roots deeper within the capital.
The victim, identified as Aman Joon, was targeted Tuesday night in a brutal attack that involved multiple shooters discharging 38 bullets of assorted calibres. Police recovered Joon’s body behind the restaurant’s billing counter, a stark indication of his final moments trying to escape the hail of bullets.
Authorities unveiled that Joon was apparently lured into the fast food outlet by a woman who is currently under investigation and faces multiple charges in Haryana. This woman, who had relocated to Delhi for educational purposes, is suspected of setting the stage for the fatal encounter. Security footage traced her movements from GTB Nagar Metro Station to the murder scene at Rajouri Garden and then onto Shakurpur Metro Station post the incident.
In a chilling twist, a fugitive gangster named Himanshu Bhau, believed to be in Portugal, has purportedly claimed responsibility for the slaying via a social media declaration. According to the police, Bhau accused Joon of being involved in the 2020 murder of Shakti Singh, a cousin of another notorious gangster, Neeraj Bawana. Singh was killed in Jhajjar, Haryana, in what police believe was an information leak orchestrated by Joon to a rival gang leader, Ashould Pradhan.
Bhau’s social media post, still under scrutiny for its authenticity, chillingly warned that similar fates await others who are involved, indicating a potential promise of ongoing retaliations. “40 bullets in return for 14, count them,” he allegedly wrote, hinting at a retaliatory strike for earlier grievances.
The overarching gang rivalry appears to involve extensive networks operating across Delhi and Haryana. Bhau is known to be an associate of Neeraj Bawana, who is currently incarcerated, and himself has a notorious reputation for extortion and organized crime.
Officials believe that Bhau orchestrated the Burger King murder from abroad, intending to eliminate Joon outside his usual surroundings where he might have felt safe. This incident is a stark reminder of the lengths to which gang violence has permeated daily life and the challenges it poses to law enforcement.
The continuance of gang-related crime in the region puts a spotlight on the need for strengthened measures and cooperative law enforcement strategies across state and national lines to curtail the influence and impact of such organized crime groups.
This murder, with its apparent ties to revenge and organized crime, has not only led to a tragic loss but also ignited broader concerns about the security in public spaces and the invisible yet pervasive threat of gang rivalries. The community and local authorities now face the dual challenge of grieving a loss and combating the insidious spread of organized crime, which has shown it can strike unexpectedly and with brutal force.