Delhi: Grief, fear grips village as decade-old gang dispute claims another life

tautness and offend gripped Nangal Thakran hamlet hours after the bump off of Deepak Thakran, the 38-year-old nephew of jailed mobster Manjeet Mahal, in front of his 10-year-old daughter near Bawana on Friday morning. The unease was palpable, with heavy police deployment — nearly 30 personnel in uniform and plain clothes — stationed across the village, especially around Deepak’s residence, to prevent any further violence and provide security to his family.

When HT visited the village, the mood was one of fear and grief.

At Deepak’s home and the nearby crime scene, barely a kilometre apart, residents maintained silence, unwilling to speak about the murder. Both sides of the road leading to his house were lined with 60-70 parked cars belonging to relatives and friends.

A sombre calm descended as Deepak’s body, post-autopsy, arrived for cremation. More than 200 people attended the funeral under tight security. Villagers openly discussed the murder, with many blaming Mahal’s notoriety for Deepak’s death.

“Not only Deepak but all his family members are innocent and law-abiding people. His only fault is being Manjeet Mahal’s nephew. We never saw him involved in any dispute,” said Rakesh Kumar, a local resident. “His brother Devesh works in a nationalised bank.”

Shops along the entry to the village — a soft drink stall, a garment store, a sweet shop, and an ice-cream parlour — were open, but deserted. Most male residents had gathered at the crematorium in the village centre, while women had assembled at Deepak’s residence to console the family. Security cameras at the gate and along the corridor leading to Deepak’s house monitored all incoming vehicles and visitors.

An adjoining property, owned by Deepak’s uncle, had a hall on the ground floor with chairs and hookahs arranged for male relatives and neighbours. When HT visited, it stood empty — the men were all at the cremation.

Outside, security was intense. Around 10 police personnel, some in plainclothes, were stationed near Deepak’s home. Another 20 cops, armed with short- and long-range weapons, including MP5 guns, were posted at the crematorium.

The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow. Deepak’s father Devender and brother Devesh, both in tears, performed the last rites.

After Deepak’s body was cremated — covered with logs, cow dung cakes, and dry rice straw — people slowly began to leave in groups. Some spoke quietly about the killing and its implications. Most, however, avoided talking altogether.

“It’s not the right time to discuss the case. Things could turn ugly if you stay longer here and ask questions,” said one neighbour, visibly shaken.

Visitors folded hands in front of the grieving family, exchanged brief condolences, and departed quietly. Deepak’s father and brother, still crying, thanked them for their support.

The murder took place around 7.30am when Deepak, a share trader, was out for a walk with his daughter Ananya, just an intersection away from his house. Two men on a motorcycle fired 12 rounds at him, hitting his chest and abdomen. He died instantly. Ananya was wounded in the arm. Deepak’s father, walking nearby with a neighbour, rushed to the spot on hearing gunfire and found his son in a pool of blood.

Relatives and neighbours remained tight-lipped about the decade-long ugly rivalry between jail gangster Mahal and UK-based gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu — Mahal’s arch rival. Their rivalry has led to the deaths of at least two dozen people.

The feud began in 2015 after the murder of Sunil alias Doctor, brother-in-law of Kapil and Jyoti Sangwan, allegedly by Mahal and his associates. This sparked a series of retaliatory killings over the years, claiming nearly two dozen lives. Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, now believed to be operating from the UK, later claimed responsibility for Deepak’s murder in a social media post, warning that anyone meeting Mahal during parole would “meet the same fate.” HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the post.

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