Five heavily armed shooters of the overseas-operated Deepak Nandal gang were neutralized in a fierce gunfight with the Gurugram Police Crime Branch late Thursday night, foiling a Rs 10 crore extortion attempt targeting prominent businessman Vishal Beri and his family. The operation was triggered by alert neighbours in Sushant Lok Phase-1 who spotted suspicious activity and alerted authorities.
Neighbours Spot Suspicious Activity
The gang members arrived at Block A, Sushant Lok Phase-1, in a rented black Mahindra Scorpio SUV and parked outside Beri's residence, waiting for him to return. Residents noticed the suspicious vehicle and armed men loitering, prompting them to click pictures and record videos. Realizing they were being watched, the panicked suspects covered the SUV's registration plates with black tape. Neighbours immediately called the police control room, giving the Crime Branch crucial minutes to set up an ambush.
Frantic Call to Overseas Handler
Stranded and exposed, the shooters contacted their overseas handler, Deepak Nandal, who ordered them to open fire on the house to create panic and videograph the attack for intimidation purposes. The gang fired nearly two dozen rounds, riddling the property with bullets and trapping Beri's wife and a relative inside. Unbeknownst to them, police had already deployed a massive dragnet with multiple teams converging from different directions.
Coordinated Police Operation
One Crime Branch team advanced from the Block A side, while a second team moved in from the MG Road side, cutting off the gang's planned escape route. Caught off guard, the shooters turned their automatic weapons on the officers, triggering a fierce exchange of fire that injured three Crime Branch personnel. A third police team then pushed the suspects back, cornering them in an adjacent vacant plot. Outmanoeuvred and pinned down from multiple directions, all five attackers were neutralized in the ensuing gun battle.
Intention Was Intimidation, Not Murder
Investigators revealed that the shooters never intended to kill Beri's family; their primary objective was to intimidate him and collect the extortion amount. However, Beri was not at home when they arrived, and their decision to wait led to their downfall. The successful operation highlights the effectiveness of community vigilance and swift police response in thwarting organized crime.
