The violent saga of gangster Vinay Tyagi, which began when he was just 13 years old, ended dramatically on December 27 while he was undergoing treatment at AIIMS Rishikesh. Tyagi succumbed to injuries sustained three days earlier when he was shot by motorcycle-borne assailants while being transported from Roorkee sub jail to Laksar court.
A Custodial Killing That Raises Questions
The brazen attack, which occurred on December 24, has raised serious questions about security protocols and possible motives. The two assailants, identified as Sunny Yadav and Ajay from Kashipur, were allegedly former members of Tyagi's own gang. Police have arrested both men.
Authorities cited a preliminary probe suggesting a fallout over a monetary dispute related to a past dacoity in Kashipur. An SIT (Special Investigation Team) has been formed to investigate the murder. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shekhar Chand Suyal stated the team is examining all angles, including gang rivalry, but has found no political links prima facie.
Tyagi's daughter, Tanvi, has accused the police of delaying her father's treatment after the shooting, adding another layer of controversy to the incident.
The Early Descent into Crime and Political Foray
Vinay Tyagi's journey into infamy started early. Hailing from Muzaffarnagar and raised in Meerut, his first police case was registered in 1985 at Meerut's Civil Lines police station for kidnapping—he was merely 13 years old at the time.
His criminal footprint expanded to Uttarakhand in 1992 with a kidnapping case in Roorkee. Over the decades, he amassed around 60 cases, including at least 10 murders, and was booked under the Goonda Act and later the stringent Gangster Act in 2016.
Amidst this life of crime, Tyagi attempted to legitimize his profile through politics. In 2007, he contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Deoband under the banner of the Uttar Pradesh United Democratic Front, though unsuccessfully.
He was a known associate of gangster Sunil Rathi and a rival of Haridwar-based Chinu Pandit, who is currently lodged in the same Roorkee sub-jail. Tyagi had been moved to this jail from Dehradun just in December.
Allegations of a Massive Rs 750 Crore Loot and Framing
Following the attack, sensational allegations emerged from Tyagi's family. His sister, Seema, claimed the dispute that led to his killing involved a staggering loot worth Rs 750 crore, which included documents of benami properties.
She alleged the wealth belonged to a Meerut-based road construction contractor who had hidden it at a doctor's place in Dehradun to evade an ED (Enforcement Directorate) raid. According to her, Tyagi stole it intending to hand it over to the ED, but was caught by Dehradun police with his wife, and the loot was recovered.
"Now, there was a plan to kill Vinay while taking him to court, so that he wouldn't reveal this to the ED or any other agency. The Uttarakhand Police are involved in this," Seema alleged to reporters.
Tyagi's family has also claimed in a recent Dehradun case—where he was accused of stealing valuables worth Rs 4 lakh from a car—that he was being framed to protect "powerful individuals."
The death of Vinay Tyagi closes a chapter on a notorious criminal career but opens a Pandora's box of questions regarding custodial security, inter-gang rivalries, and the alleged nexus between crime, politics, and high-stakes financial fraud.
