New Delhi: A fierce gunfight broke out at a government hospital in Delhi in broad daylight on Thursday when a police team escorting a notorious criminal came face to face with those who came to aid his escape, leaving one assailant dead and triggering chaos with patients and their relatives running for cover, officials said.
While the prisoner – gangster Kuldeep alias Fajja – managed to flee, the police nabbed one of his six associates who was injured in the gunfight at the GTB hospital here, they said.In a high-voltage drama, the assailants first threw chilli powder at the police team and then started firing at them to which the security personnel retaliated with 12 rounds of fire, killing one of them on the spot and injuring another, officials said.The shootout took place around 12:24 pm when the third battalion of the Delhi Police was taking gangster Kuldeep alias Fajja, a close associate of dreaded gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi, to the hospital for treatment, a senior police officer said.
“Five to six men came in a Scorpio car and a motorcycle from the rear entrance of the hospital building and fired at the third battalion of the police in an attempt to help the accused escape from custody,” he said.
During the encounter, one assailant died on the spot and another got injured who was nabbed. The remaining accused, including Kuldeep, managed to escape, the police said.
Gangster Kuldeep alias Fajja escaped police custody. Photo: Twitter/Mahender Singh Manral.The accused who died during the incident has been identified as Ravi, while the injured man was identified as Ankesh, police said, adding that both are aged between 25 and 28 years.“Kuldeep was lodged at the Mandoli Jail and was brought to the outpatient department (OPD) of the GTB Hospital for a check-up by the third battalion of the Delhi Police.
“After his check-up was done by the doctors, the security personnel were taking him back to the police vehicle when the assailants started firing,” joint commissioner of police (east) Alok Kumar said.
Kumar said Kuldeep took the advantage of the chaos and managed to escape from the spot along with his associates.“One of the assailants was killed during the crossfire and the other was injured. Police fired 12 rounds in retaliation,” the officer said.Police said the assailants left the car on the spot while escaping. The accused used multiple gates to escape from the spot. They also snatched a bike from a person outside the hospital and to escape, police said, adding there was chaos at the hospital as people started running to take cover during the shooting.
Chilli powder was seen strewn at the spot and the police also marked the area where empty bullet cartridges were found, officials said. According to the police, Ankesh, who was injured, is out of danger.
According to Indian Express, last year, Jitender Gogi along with his three associates, including Kuldeep, was arrested by the counter-intelligence unit of special cell from MAPSKO Casabella Apartments, Sector 82 in Gurugram.
Fajja is a close aide of Gogi, and according to police, Gogi and his rival Sunil alias Tillu have been running extortion rackets in Alipur and Sonipat for years, and the constant tensions between the two gangs have often ended in bloodshed. In the last six years, over 10 members of the two gangs have been killed, while many others have barely survived attempts on their life.
