Killing for cash

On a chilly winter morning in 2015, four men shattered the daily monotony in East Delhi's Karkardooma courts complex as they ran to the sixth floor and fired indiscriminately inside courtroom No 73. Presiding metropolitan magistrate Sunil Gupta ducked in time as bullets brushed his chair and hit the wall, while others ran for cover. They critically wounded their history-sheeter target Chenu Phelwan alias Irfan — a rival gang member in the witness box — and killed a policeman who was accompanying him. Head Constable Ram Kumar was shot in his head and chest. He died on the spot.

The December 23 shootout was a fallout of the same rivalry that had claimed two lives in West Delhi only two days ago. The four were nabbed by the armed police stationed at the court but the incident came as a jolt to the police. The Union Home Ministry sought a report from the then Police Commissioner.

In January, the same year, Lalit Dahiya, son of a former Delhi police sub-inspector, had married Amity University student Monika. She was an independent woman, who wanted to be free of joint family restrictions. She persistently asked him to move to another house.

Dahiya's refusals led to regular quarrels and violence between the two. Last year, on a bright summer afternoon, Monika was shot dead by two assailants in full public view on her way back from a nearby market in Southwest Delhi.

In March 2013, a farmhouse near south Delhi's Vasant Kunj owned by Deepak Bhardwaj — Bahujan Samaj Party's richest candidate in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections — was rattled by the sound of bullets. Three men in a dark grey Skoda entered the farmhouse on the pretext of booking the property for a function. They shot Bhardwaj twice at point-blank range. Bullets pierced through the 62-year-old's head and chest.

The police had no clue about the killers for a month till all suspects — an advocate, a self-styled godman and Bhardwaj's own son — were arrested.

All these crimes had a common element — contract killing. The four assailants — three of them later found to be juveniles — at the court complex had been hired by a gang from Southeast Delhi, which had a long-running rivalry with a gang of the trans-Yamuna area. The conspiracy to bump off Irfan had been hatched from Delhi's Tihar prison.

Dahiya had also hired a contract killer — Sahil alias Anil from Haryana's Mewat — when he could not take in any more pressure from his wife. It was a Rs 8-lakh deal; Rs 50,000 and a weapon had to be arranged in advance.

Dahiya bought a pistol for Rs 25,000. On April 19, 2016, he stopped his SUV on a busy road as Sahil and his aide shot Monika dead at point-blank range while her five-month-old daughter was in her arms.

In Bhardwaj's case, four contract killers were arrested. The kingpin had been assured a sum of Rs 1 crore by the self-styled godman and Bhardwaj's son Nitesh who was upset with his father's relationship with a woman. Nitesh also nursed a grudge against his father as he had refused him a share in his property, the police said. Bhardwaj, 62, was a real estate tycoon. He had declared assets worth Rs 600 crore and contested from West Delhi.

Only about a month ago, an 82-year-old woman, her three daughters and a security guard were found murdered in their house in East Delhi's Shahdara. The police ruled out robbery as a motive and said a property dispute could be the reason behind the murders. The police have questioned over 100 people and rounded up possible suspects, but there are no clues yet. Investigators are now looking at a possible contract-killing angle.

Delhi has seen contract killings over several reasons — property, money, sex, or enmity following personal issues. Senior officials say the trend is rising. Gangs have become more organised to go under police radars. "Their mode of payments, exchange of information and style of weapon delivery have changed drastically. Payments now are made online through fake accounts, which are difficult to trace, and quick withdrawals are made to avoid any detection. Information is exchanged through apps, which provide encrypted chatting facilities to prevent unauthorised access. Weapons are delivered in person through various modes of travel, which can only be traced based on fine intelligence," said a senior police officer, who had been privy to the probe into Bhardwaj's murder case.

"While their targets lie on secluded road stretches or in mortuaries awaiting post-mortem, these killers are often found in brothels and casinos, splurging money with their girlfriends," the officer said. They are often arrested from places like GB Road, Delhi's main red light district, their accomplices' places, or their native villages.

"Contract killers are mostly young and always fearless. They want to be famous in the world of crime. They wait for assignments to prove that they can. A contract killer often kills without knowing his target and the motive of the murder," said another police officer.

Those who give contracts are often rich and they avoid reaching out to killers directly. This is where petty criminals who are well connected on both sides come into the picture.

"It's about knowing the right men. The money for a target could range between Rs 10,000 and a few crores, depending upon risks involved," the officer said. After this, advance payments are made. Weapons are to be arranged by those who give contracts. The contract money goes up if the killer is asked to use his own weapons and vehicles. Or if the target is high profile.

In May last year, a hotel owner had New Delhi Municipal Council's legal adviser MM Khan killed by hitmen following a dispute. The deal was for Rs 2 lakh. The killers had got Rs 50,000 in advance. A month earlier, the police arrested four contract killers in connection with the murder of a builder in north Delhi's Ballimaran area. Fahim Ahmed, 35, had been shot dead outside his house.

A police officer said that juveniles, like in the Karkardooma court shootout, have become easy targets of gangs that hire them for killings. "In areas like Sangam Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar and trans-Yamuna slums, many juveniles have been caught involved in such crimes. They would be supplied arms, and photographs of targets. They kill for Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000, depending upon the risk involved," he said. The officer said the involvement of juveniles in contract killings can be curbed through counselling.

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill 2015 has come as a relief, he said. The new law lowered the age at which someone can be tried for heinous crimes to 16 from 18. It was passed after an outrage over the release of a minor convicted in the 2012 fatal gangrape of a 23-year-old on a Delhi bus. The National Crime Records Bureau data shows that 16- to 18-year-olds account for a majority of minors arrested for crimes.

Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said the involvement of juveniles in murders, especially contract killings, was a menace until a few years ago.

"Easy money and a sense of power were the major factors that kept the youth thrilled and attracted them to this genre of crime. Usually, in young age, money, power, and weapons look exciting," he said.

"However, the amendments to the juvenile law have effectively brought the involvement of juveniles in such crimes down. If I can remember, during 2013 -2015, such crimes were on the rise, but a drastic fall has been witnessed in contract killings in the capital," the former top cop said.

Senior lawyer Rebecca John disagreed with Kumar and said she was not convinced by the police's claim that the involvement of juveniles in crimes, particularly in contract killings, has come down. Authentic data in this regard is not available and, hence, these claims cannot be verified.

Modus operandi 

Payments: Also made online through fake accounts that are difficult to trace. Quick withdrawals are made to avoid detection. 
Information: Exchanged through apps that provide encrypted chatting facilities to prevent unauthorised access. 
Weapons: Delivered in person through various modes of travel that can be traced only through fine intelligence.

Contract killers 

Mostly young and always fearless. They want to be famous in the world of crime. They wait for assignments to prove that they can. A contract killer often kills without knowing his target and the motive of the murder.

Role of juveniles

They become easy targets of gangs that hire them for killings. In areas like Sangam Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar and trans-Yamuna slums, many juveniles have been caught for being involved in such crimes. They would be supplied arms, and photographs of targets. They kill for Rs 5,000-20,000. National Crime Records Bureau data shows that 16- to 18-year-olds account for a majority of minors arrested for crimes.

New law

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill 2015 has come as a relief. It lowered the age at which someone can be tried for heinous crimes to 16 from 18.

How deals are struck 

Conspirators are often rich and avoid reaching out to killers directly. This is where petty criminals who are well connected on both sides come into picture. The money for a target could range between Rs 10,000 and a few crores. Advance payments are made. Weapons are to be arranged by those who give contracts.

Past cases

Oct 2017 
Woman, three daughters and a security guard found murdered in their house in East Delhi’s Shahdara. Police have questioned over 100 people and rounded up possible suspects. Investigators are now looking at a possible contract killing angle. 

May 2016 
A hotel owner had New Delhi Municipal Council’s legal adviser MM Khan killed by hitmen following a dispute. The deal was for Rs 2 lakh. 
The killers had received Rs 50,000 in advance. 

April 2016 
Man had his wife shot dead by a hitman in Southwest Delhi’s Chhawla area following marital discord. Lalit Dahiya had hired Sahil alias Anil from Haryana’s Mewat for Rs 8 lakh; Rs 50,000 and a weapon had to be arranged in advance. Dahiya bought a pistol for Rs 25,000. 

April 2016 
Police arrested four contract killers in connection with the murder of a builder in north Delhi’s Ballimaran area. Fahim Ahmed, 35, had been shot dead outside his house. 

Dec 2015 
Four men rained bullets in East Delhi’s Karkardooma court, killed a cop, but their target survived with a bullet wound. Presiding metropolitan judge had a narrow escape in the gang rivalry attack carried out by contract killers. 

March 2013 
Son had rich politician father Deepak Bhardwaj gunned down by contract killers at his South Delhi farmhouse. Nitesh nursed a grudge against his father as he had refused him a share in his property. 
It was a Rs 1-crore deal.