Noida police takes transit custody of Kajal Khatri to probe murder case

Noida: A day after being arrested by Delhi Police, “lady don” Kajal Khatri was taken into custody by Noida police in connection with the murder of an Air India employee in January this year. She has been sent to Luksar jail on judicial custody, officers said on Thursday.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested 29-year-old Khatri, the partner of jailed gangster Kapil Maan, in connection with the murder of Suraj Maan, who was a resident of Lotus Panache Society in Sector 110, Noida.

Officers of the Delhi Police crime branch said Khatri was allegedly running the Gogi gang since his arrest in 2019.

She was arrested from a hotel in Hisar, Haryana, while attempting to flee, said police.

On January 19, 2024, 32-year-old Suraj was allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants when he was coming out of a gym in Noida’s Sector 104 market around 2pm. CCTV footage showed that the three suspects came on a sports bike and two pillion riders opened fire at Suraj, said investigators.

Police suspect that the murder was the result of a rivalry between the gangs of Parvesh Maan and Kapil Maan. Suraj was Parvesh’s brother.

After taking her on transit remand, Noida police interrogated Khatri at the Sector 39 police station on Thursday.

“Investigation into the case suggested that the murder was committed on the direction of Gogi gang leader Kapil, who was lodged in Mandoli prison with Parvesh. Their two gangster families are locked in a long rivalry over land, which prompted Kapil to plan Suraj’s murder. Khatri, served as the mediator between him and the shooter involved in the crime,” said Manish Kumar Mishra, additional deputy commissioner of police, Noida.

Police also said that she provided cash to the shooters on Kapil’s directions. “Khatri met Kapil multiple times in Delhi jail and Kapil also mentioned her as his wife in jail records. Further, it is Khatri who provided the cash to shooters who killed Suraj Maan, interrogation has revealed,” said Mishra.

Following the interrogation that lasted a couple of hours, Khatri was produced before a local court in Gautam Budh Nagar and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.

“Khatri has been lodged at Luksar Jail in Greater Noida. Investigation into Suraj’s death will also proceed and we will soon trace the remaining suspects,” said Mishra.

Earlier on January 20, Noida Police had nabbed two people who were allegedly involved in the murder, identified as Dheeraj Maan, who is a cousin of Kapil, and Arun alias Mannu Maan, another accomplice.

Later on January 22, the Delhi Police arrested two others following a gunfight, in connection with the case. The accused were identified as Abdul Kadir and Kuldeep and were said to be members of Kapil’s gang.

Later on January 30, another suspect was arrested by the Noida police in connection with the murder, identified as Naveen Sharma, a resident of Vijay Vihar, Delhi.