Rani Bagh case takes u-turn, murder ruled out
Three weeks after a property dealer’s family claimed that he was gunned down by his business rivals, the Delhi Police thinks it was a case of self–inflicted injury gone horribly wrong.
Three weeks after a property dealer’s family claimed that he was gunned down by his business rivals, the Delhi Police thinks it was a case of self–inflicted injury gone horribly wrong.
Police have reason to believe that the incident, which occurred in northwest Delhi’s Rani Bagh on January 10,
was a deliberate attempt by 40-year-old Sahil Khatri and his family to implicate one of the Khatri’s friends over property dispute.
“We have submitted our investigation report at a city court seeking that the attempt to murder case, which was
registered in the aftermath of the incident on January 10 and later converted to a case of murder, be quashed,” said a senior police officer requesting anonymity.
According to his family, Sahil, who was a property dealer based in Rohini’s Vijay Vihar, was shot to death by two business rivals on the Rani Bagh flyover at midnight.
Khatri had provided a passerby with a ‘dying declaration’, which the latter recorded as a video clip in his phone, in which he alleged that his rivals were behind the incident.
He was rushed to Mahavir Hospital after that and referred to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he was declared brought dead on arrival.
“Though the dying declaration is a very crucial piece of evidence, we have three other pieces of evidence that can override it. Medical evidence has made it clear that Khatri was shot at a very close range and a manner in which only he could have shot himself.
“Secondly, the alibi provided by the business rivals he wanted to frame has been found to be genuine.
“Thirdly, and most importantly, we have traced the arms dealer in UP from where the weapon had been purchased by Khatri,” the officer said.
However, the police are yet to recover the weapon or make any arrests in the case.
“We have submitted a report in the court and are awaiting its directions.
“We have strong evidence that overrides the family’s claims,” said Karnal Singh, joint commissioner of police (northern range).