Suspected hate crime case in Delhi: Gym trainer shot at by wife’s brother

In a suspected case of hate crime, a 26-year-old gymnasium trainer who married a Muslim girl in July this year was shot at late Saturday night, allegedly by two persons including his wife’s brother, in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Park under Model Town police station, police said. The condition of the injured trainer, identified as Deva, is serious, they said.

Both the alleged attackers were arrested by the special staff team of northwest district police within six hours of the crime and two firearms along with a Bullet bike, suspected to have been used in the crime, were recovered from their possession. The accused were identified as Shahnawaz,21, brother of the gym trainer’s wife and his friend Harshit alias Hritik,20, resident of Budaun in Uttar Pradesh.

Police said that their families were opposed to the couple’s interfaith marriage and the woman’s brother had allegedly developed animosity towards Deva.

“Prime facie, it appears that Shahnawaz planned the killing and involved his friend Harshit in it. The exact sequence of events leading to the attempted killing and other people’s roles are being ascertained,” said a senior police officer, who did not want to be named.

Deputy commissioner of police (north-west) Usha Rangnani said that around midnight, constable Santosh Kapoor of Model Town police station alerted the station house officer (SHO) that a man with gunshot injury was bleeding on the road near Shalimar Park in Model Town. The injured was then shifted to a nearby hospital where his condition was reported to be serious, following which, a case of attempt to murder and firing was registered and several teams, including that of the special staff, were tasked to crack it, she said.

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During the investigation, DCP Rangnani said it was revealed that Deva was riding a motorcycle along with two pillion riders, who reportedly shot him with a countrymade pistol near Shalimar Park and fled. The police then made sure that the suspects were caught within six hours. The details of the operation have not been revealed yet.

“The alleged accused Shahnawaz is the brother of Deva’s wife and Harshit aka Hrithik is his friend. Both have confessed to the crime. Their further interrogation is on,” added the DCP.