A day after Manoj Vashishth was gunned down in an alleged encounter by Delhi Police at a restaurant here in central Delhi, his family accused the police of killing him in cold blood and demanded a judicial enquiry.
His wife identified as Priyanka and brother Anil accused the police of staging a fake encounter claiming that Vashishth was not a hardened criminal but was facing cases of fraud.
“The CCTV footage of the restaurant should be made public and a judicial enquiry should be ordered,” she demanded.
Both Vashishth and his wife Priyanka have political background. While Priyanka is an elected member of municipal body in Bagpat, Manoj was a member of Samajwadi Party and had even uploaded pictures with senior laders of the party on social media.
According to police, Vashishth had duped several people after promising them that he was constructing MIG flats in a apartment for them in Ghaziabad, Mathura and Rajasthan.
He allegedly used to threatened people with the help of his bouncers who asked him to return their money.
Vashisht had duped a 62-year-old woman in Uttam Nagar after he promised her to construct new home for her in Mathura. But, after some months, he allegedly sent bouncers to threatened the senior citizen after she demanded her money, they said.
Vashisht, a native of Bagpat in Uttar Pradesh, was staying along with his wife in South Patel Nagar.
“Several companies were set up by him such as RC builders & developers, RCS Finance LTD, RC Property Ltd under the banner of RCS group. He was running his two offices in Arunachal Building in Connaught Place and Ganesh Nagar crossing in Tilak Nagar area.
“He was wanted in a string of cases of fraud and carried a reward on his arrest. Last night, we had got a tip off that he would come to Sagar Ratna restaurant in New Rajender Nagar with his bouncers. When our team reached the spot, he opened fire on them. When our men fired in self defence, he sustained one bullet injury and died,” said a senior police official of the Special Cell.
Police also maintained its stand and said that the Central district police has registered an FIR in the case and has initiated investigation.
As per procedure, weapons of the police party which carried out the operation were also taken into custody after the encounter for probe.
The CCTV footage of the restaurant and surrounding areas would also be preserved and screened.
As per Supreme Court guidelines a magisterial enquiry was being carried out while National Human Rights Commission will has also been informed, police said.
PTI