The families of three youths killed in a police encounter in Gurugram on Thursday night have strongly refuted the police's assertion that their sons were affiliated with the Deepak Nandal gang, a criminal outfit led by an individual based abroad. The relatives stated they had no knowledge of any criminal connections and only learned of their sons' deaths on Friday morning through the village chowkidar.
Victims identified as Aryan, Ankit, and Nitin from Rohtak district
The three deceased—Aryan, Ankit, and Nitin—hailed from Baloth village in Rohtak district. While official ages have yet to be confirmed by police, families of Aryan and Ankit claimed they were 17 years old, while Nitin was 22. According to their families, Aryan was a Class XII student and an aspiring javelin thrower; Ankit had dropped out of school and worked as a daily-wage labourer; and Nitin was studying in Class X.
After receiving information from local authorities, the families rushed to Gurugram, where they were told that the four men killed in the encounter had been identified by police as shooters of the Deepak Nandal gang. However, the relatives disputed this claim.
Fathers express shock and plead for leniency
Speaking at the post-mortem house, Aryan’s father, Pradeep, said his son had been training in javelin throw for the past two years. “Upon inquiry, it was learned that my son had gone with Nitin. Aryan did not have a mobile phone, so attempts were made to call Nitin’s number, but the phone remained switched off. The village sarpanch was informed by the SHO on Friday morning and then I got to know about the death of my son in the encounter. My child should have been given a chance because children are easily led astray. Therefore, action should be taken against the gangsters, not against these innocent children,” he said.
Ankit’s father, Anil Kumar, a contractor, described Ankit as his only son among five children. “My son Ankit had left home two days ago. He had told that he was going to Haridwar to fetch the ‘kanwar’. I have no information about whom he was going with. My son had no prior criminal record, nor had he ever been involved in any such incident,” he said.
Nitin’s father acknowledges past case but denies gang link
Nitin’s father, Sanjay Kumar, acknowledged that his son had previously been named in a criminal case but denied any association with gangster Deepak Nandal. The family of the fourth deceased, Deepa alias Sandeep, could not be contacted for comment.
Police provide details on fourth deceased
ACP (Crime) Naveen Sharma stated that Sandeep, a native of Samain village in Fatehabad district, had 14 criminal cases registered against him, including under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act, and had been living in the Faridabad-Gurugram area for some time. The police encounter occurred on Thursday night, and the official statement from authorities continues to attribute the four deaths to their involvement with the Deepak Nandal gang.
