Three gangsters were kiled in a shootout inside a courtroom in Delhi that has left several people injured and raised serious questions about security in what should be a heavily protected and sanitised zone. In videos, gunshots are heard in court and policemen and lawyers are seen in a scramble in the building at Rohini in north Delhi.
Gunmen dressed as lawyers barged into a court hearing and shot gangster Jitender Gogi thrice. Special force personnel escorting the gangster then fired back, killing both the attackers on the spot. A total of 30 shots were fired.
Jitender Gogi, a notorious gangster involved in several criminal cases and jailed at Tihar since last year, was declared dead in hospital. A rival gang, going by the name “Tillu Gang”, had plotted to kill him when he was brought for his court hearing today, said the police.
Men and terrified children scampered to safety as shots rang out., A judge, lawyers and others were reportedly present in the courtroom during the shooting.
Gogi was shot thrice before security personnel shot the gunmen dead. Many were injured and are in hospital. Among them is a woman lawyer present in the courtroom. Two children were seen in the video running from the sound of the gunshots.
The firing in court by gang members who were able to make it past security and metal detectors with weapons is a huge security lapse.
The shooting was the result of a rivalry of years between Jitender Gogi’s gang and the rival “Tillu gang”, the police said. The Tillu gang had decided to kill Gogi, in jail since March last year, when he was to make his court appearance today.
The police said more than 25 people have died over the years in clashes between the two gangs.
