The question of court security is nothing new. Five years ago, in 2016, the situation was reversed: Gogi’s arch-rival, Sunil Tajpuria, was about to stand trial, and the police warned that Gogi might find a way to assassinate him in the courtroom.

A police report from the time reads: “There is strong apprehension that Jitender Gogi will eliminate members of rival gang and can attack Sunil Tillu (Tajpuria) at the time of his production before the court from jail.”

That time, it didn’t happen. But this kind of attack is certainly not unprecedented, and the police were aware of the risk. Yet nothing was done to step up security measures.

There were metal detectors at the court, but the two killers somehow smuggled their guns through. It’s quite possible that they simply didn’t work; investigations are currently underway to check that they are fully functional.

Beyond that, there is the question of how two unknown men were able to enter the court at all. They have been identified as Rahul and Moris, and both were wanted killers, known to have been involved in gang murders. Yet it was enough for them to put on the gowns of lawyers, and it was simply assumed that they had the right to be there. Perhaps it is a result of an excessive deference to authority; the security guards had too much respect for members of the judiciary to question the men, to ask for identification, or even to search them properly.

Gogi had continued to operate a crime ring from prison

Previous Next

It isn’t the first time that Gogi’s career has demonstrated how easy it can be for well-connected criminal gangs to evade security, and literally get away with murder.

The gang leader, aged 30, was on Delhi’s most-wanted list, and had first been involved in petty crime as a teenager. Later, in his twenties, he headed a notorious criminal network that was implicated in numerous cases of murder, kidnapping, and extortion across several states—including the 2017 killing of singer Harshita Dahiya, at the request of her brother-in-law.

For over a decade, Gogi had been involved in fierce gang warfare with the rival Tillu gang, led by jailed leader Sunil Tajpuria. The two men had once been close friends, but had fallen out while at university and remained deadly enemies ever since.

Gogi was clearly guilty, and would have been imprisoned for life. Yet prison had not stopped him from continuing his criminal activities the last time he was in jail. He had met Harshita Dahiya’s brother-in-law there, for example, which led to her murder, and had been able to mastermind the actions of his gang from behind bars.

His rival, Sunil Tajpuria, who seems likely to have instigated the shoot-out in the courtroom in Friday, is also currently in prison. Apparently, however, it didn’t stop him.

There isn’t enough security in Indian prisons – let alone courtrooms.

The police have been praised for their handling of the situation, and the Delhi police commissioner, Rakesh Asthana stated that: “Delhi police is doing its job seriously. We were effective and focused and that is why the shooter was successfully neutralised.”

While that fact that no one else was killed—although one other person present was injured—is certainly to be applauded, the actions of the police should still be a matter of investigation. In some cases there is no choice but to open fire on the perpetrators of violence. Yet the Indian police are notorious for encounter killings.

Was this another example of the police retaliating with lethal force in a situation when the assailants could have been neutralised by other means?

Encounter killings are alarmingly common; in just one state, Uttar Pradesh, from 2017 to 2020, a total of 122 alleged criminals were killed in “encounters” with the police. The police have the right to kill only in self-defence or if the lives of others are in danger. Yet it is considered “normal” for the police to kill, meaning that many suspects are never brought to trial; it is enough for the police to consider them guilty for an extra-judicial killing to take place. For the most part, the officers responsible enjoy complete impunity for their actions.

Those who work in India's judiciary deserve protection

Previous Next

Whatever the real story behind the case of Gogi’s murder, it requires serious investigation. Members of the judiciary should not have to live in fear that the courtroom may become a bloodbath. And a crime should not be dismissed simply because the victim was also a criminal.

Security is an essential part of the judicial process. The police force and the justice system must be able to protect people from gang warfare—particularly in a court of law.