Former Najafgarh Legislator Bharat Singh Shot Dead

New Delhi:

Former INLD legislator Bharat Singh was shot dead and two of his associates critically injured when some unidentified persons opened indiscriminate fire at them in south west Delhi's Najafgarh area in Delhi yesterday evening.

The incident took place at around 8:10 pm when Mr Singh was attending a religious programme at Abhinandan Vatika in Najafgarh, from where he was elected legislator in 2009.

38-year-old Bharat Singh was attacked by over six armed men who had reached the spot in a SUV. At least 15-20 rounds of bullets were fired.

Mr Singh was the younger brother of local strongman Kishen Pehalwan, who has more than two dozen criminal cases registered against him, police said.

Officials said that prima facie it seems to be a case of gang war and needle of suspicion is towards the gang of local criminal Udayveer alias Kaale, who was recently released from jail.

A senior police officer said that all the three injured were rushed to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, where Mr Singh succumbed to his injuries while condition of the other two-Mr Singh's personal security officers (PSO)- is critical.

Eyewitnesses claimed that Mr Singh was shot in the head from very close range.

"He has been declared dead by doctors," Joint Commissioner of Police (southwestern range) Tajendra Luthra told PTI.

Crime and FSL teams picked up circumstantial evidence from the spot and several teams including those from the Special Cell and Crime Branch have been deployed to crack the case.

A similar attack had taken place on Mr Singh in June 2012. He was shot at by assailants outside his office in a south west Delhi locality.

One of his relatives had also received bullet injury at that time. Mr Singh had survived two bullet injuries- one in his left shoulder and another in his abdomen.

In that police had arrested four persons, who are facing trial in the case.