Tillu Tajpuriya killed by rival gangsters inside Delhi’s Tihar Jail

Tillu has been heading a gang in his name for over a decade and is involved in over dozen cases of murder, attempted murder, dacoity, carjacking and extortion, police said.

He was arrested by Sonipat police in 2016 in a car-jacking case, he continued leading his gang from inside the jail and had sent the two assailants who gunned down his rival from an opposing gang, Jitender Gogi at Rohini court, police said. Gogi, who was also in custody at the time, was shot dead during the hearing.

The gang rivalry between the two gangs started from a student union election at Swami Shraddhanand College in 2013. It then culminated in multiple murders and attacks inside and outside jail which claimed over 22 lives including those of the gang leaders- Gogi and Tajpuriya.

As per jail officials, Tonda and his associates are all close to the Gogi gang. The murder was pre-planned and executed amid the high security in the prison. It was around a week back that Tillu was shifted from Mandoli Jail to Tihar Jail over security concerns.

Around 6 am Tuesday, Tonda and his associates first cut through the iron grill near their barrack and fashioned weapons such as rods and blades out of it. Police said the men had access to small hand-made knives.

A prison guard entered the ward and opened locks of all cells on the ground floor. He then went up to the first floor for the daily roll call.

The accused then made a rope out of bedsheets and climbed down from the first floor to reach the ground floor, which was 12 feet below. Sources said they went unnoticed as the area was a “dark spot” and not covered by CCTVs. Only one guard was inside the ward at the time and he was busy counting inmates and releasing them from cells. As per regular practice.

Sources said the men had planned the attack as they cut a section of the mesh (separating ground and first floor) days before the murder. Prisoners on one floor cannot access the other floor through stairs or a passageway. While Tillu was roaming in the area, Tonda jumped on him and attacked him.

Jail officials said Tillu tried running and went inside another cell to save himself. Another inmate, Rohit, tried to help him but the four men managed to overpower the two and attacked Tillu.

Tillu’s associates and infamous gangsters Manjeet Mahal, Sonu Dariyapur and Pradeep Solanki tried to help Tillu but were threatened with knives, sources said.

Senior police officials from the Special Cell suspect that the accused recorded videos of the attack on mobile phone.

“We have been told that one of the accused held Manjeet Mahal the entire time while the three attacked Tillu. Within five-eight minutes, the accused had managed to inflict more than 90 injuries on Tillu”, said an official who refused to be named.

The DG Prisons office released a statement saying “At around 6.10 am, Tillu who was lodged on the ground floor of High Security Ward was attacked by four inmates affiliated to rival Gogi gang who were lodged on the first floor of the same ward. They had cut open the iron grill using improvised ‘sua’ (blade). They jumped on the ground floor using bedsheets. The injured inmate was immediately rushed to DDU Hospital after giving the required medical attention at the Central Jail OPD at around 6.45 am. The injured inmate expired during the course of the treatment at DDU hospital.”

The matter will now be investigated by prison authorities, Delhi Police and NHRC committee.

Akshat Kaushal, Additional DCP (West) said, “We received information about Tillu’s death from DDU hospital. Another inmate, Rohit, was injured and he is undergoing treatment. During enquiry from jail staff, it was revealed that Deepak, Riyaz, Yogesh and Rajesh had attacked Sunil Tillu with improvised knives and brutally stabbed him. When Rohit tried to intervene he was also attacked and injured. Autopsy of the deceased has been conducted, a report of which is awaited. However, prima facie it was found that the deceased had multiple stab wounds all over the body. Improvised knives used in the offence have been recovered from accused persons.”