Gurugram police foil plot to attack singer Rahul Fazilpuria, five held

A joint team of Gurugram Police and STF has foiled a plot to attack Haryanvi singer-rapper Rahul Fazilpuria, who survived a bid on his life on July 14, by arresting five sharpshooters after a brief encounter, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place around midnight on Tuesday on Pataudi road when four of the sharpshooters sustained gunshot wounds in the encounter, police said.

A spokesperson for Gurugram Police said initial investigation revealed that the five sharpshooters linked to gangsters Rohit Sardhaniya and Deepak Nandal were plotting to kill Fazilpuria. They were also reportedly involved in the killing of Fazilpuria's financier Rohit Shokeen last month.

The accused have been identified as Vinod Pehalwan, a resident of Jhajjar, Padam alias Raja, Shubham alias Kala, Gautam alias Gogi, and Ashish alias Ashu, all from Sonipat.

Police received a tip-off about the accused's movement near Wazirpur village. Accordingly, the STF along with a Crime Branch team put up a barricade on Pataudi road near Wazirpur late on Tuesday night.

When police directed an Innova that approached the barricade to stop, the occupants of the car opened fire at the cops. As police fired back, four of the five attackers were shot in the leg, officials said.

Around 19 rounds were fired by the two sides, they said.

The injured have been admitted to the civil hospital in Sector 10, while one of them, Gautam, has been taken into custody, police said.

On July 14, two shots were fired at Fazilpuria's car on the Badshahpur Southern Peripheral Road. The singer managed to escape unhurt.

Rohit Shokeen was gunned down on the night of August 4 near the Palm Hills society in Sector 77.