Jitendra Gogi, also known as Jitender Maan or simply Gogi, was one of Delhi’s most infamous gangsters, whose life of crime ended in a dramatic and violent shootout inside the Rohini Court on September 24, 2021. Hailing from the rugged outskirts of Delhi, Gogi rose through the ranks of the capital’s underworld, building a reputation for extortion, murder, and unrelenting gang wars. His rivalry with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the Tillu Tajpuriya gang defined his criminal career, culminating in his assassination by rival gang members disguised as lawyers in a heavily guarded courtroom.
Early Life and Entry into Crime
Jitendra Gogi was born in 1991 in Alipur, a semi-rural area in northwest Delhi known for its tough neighborhoods. Raised in a modest family, Gogi’s early life was marked by economic hardship and limited opportunities. He enrolled at Swami Shraddhanand College, Delhi University, where he initially showed promise as a student. However, his trajectory shifted dramatically during college elections in 2010, when a violent dispute over a friend’s beating by Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya ignited a lifelong feud. This incident, rooted in student politics, propelled Gogi into a world of crime.
Starting with petty offenses like theft and intimidation, Gogi soon aligned himself with local criminals operating illegal liquor and gambling rackets in outer Delhi. His first major brush with the law came in 2011, when he was arrested for shooting at two men during a college-related altercation. This event marked the beginning of the Gogi gang, a criminal outfit that would grow to dominate Delhi’s underworld through extortion, land-grabbing, and targeted killings.
Rise to Infamy
By the mid-2010s, Gogi had established himself as a formidable gangster, running a syndicate involved in dozens of cases across Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan. His gang’s activities included murders, attempted murders, extortion, possession of illegal arms, carjacking, and land-grabbing. A defining moment came in 2016 when Gogi escaped police custody in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, just months after his arrest, with a ₹4 lakh bounty placed on his head by Delhi Police and an additional ₹2.5 lakh by Haryana authorities.
Gogi’s notoriety peaked in 2018 when he and his associates gunned down rival gangster Virender Mann in Burari, pumping 20 bullets into him on a busy road. This brazen killing solidified his reputation as a ruthless operator unafraid of public displays of violence. Despite being arrested again in March 2020 by Delhi Police’s Special Cell under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Gogi allegedly continued orchestrating crimes from behind bars, including extortion and contract killings.
Murder Plans and Execution Methods
Gogi’s approach to murder was calculated and brutal. His gang relied on extensive reconnaissance, often using local informants to track targets—typically businessmen refusing to pay protection money or rival gang members encroaching on his territory. Gogi recruited young shooters, many from Delhi’s slums, arming them with semi-automatic pistols and country-made firearms for quick, lethal strikes. His signature style involved daylight executions, designed to instill fear and assert dominance.
A notable example was the 2017 killing of Haryana-based singer Harshita Dahiya, allegedly ordered by Gogi as part of his expanding influence. His gang’s operations were marked by precision, with shooters often escaping on stolen bikes after completing their missions. Even from jail, Gogi maintained control, using encrypted communications to direct his lieutenants, including Kuldeep Fazza and Rohit Moi, until Fazza’s death in a 2021 police encounter.
Rivalry with the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang and Others
Gogi’s most high-profile rivalry was with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a powerful syndicate led by the imprisoned Bishnoi and his lieutenants, Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara. The feud, sparked in the mid-2010s over Delhi’s extortion market, turned deadly as both sides sought supremacy. While direct clashes with Bishnoi’s crew were less frequent, the enmity fueled a broader gang war ecosystem, with Gogi’s death later linked to overlapping rivalries.
His primary and most personal conflict, however, was with the Tillu Tajpuriya gang. What began as a college rivalry with Sunil alias Tillu escalated into a bloody turf war, claiming numerous lives over a decade. Key incidents included the 2018 Burari shootout, where three died, and the 2021 murder of Gogi’s confidant Monu Mann by Tillu’s men. Gogi retaliated by targeting Tillu’s associates, intensifying the cycle of violence.
Gogi also clashed with the Neeraj Bawana gang and Kapil Sangwan’s outfit, fighting over extortion rackets in Najafgarh and liquor smuggling routes in Haryana. These conflicts painted Gogi as a lone wolf, unwilling to bow to larger syndicates, a trait that made him both a legend and a target.
Murder in the Rohini Court: Perpetrators and Execution
On September 24, 2021, Jitendra Gogi’s reign ended in a shocking shootout inside courtroom number 207 of Delhi’s Rohini Court. The meticulously planned assassination was executed by two members of the rival Tillu Tajpuriya gang, Rahul Tyagi and Jagdeep alias Jagga, who infiltrated the court disguised as lawyers. Dressed in black robes, the assailants evaded security checks and positioned themselves inside the courtroom, awaiting Gogi’s arrival for a hearing in a decade-old attempt-to-murder case.
Around 1:15 PM, Gogi was escorted into the courtroom by 10 personnel from Delhi Police’s 3rd Battalion and 15-20 plainclothes officers from the Special Cell. As he stood in the witness box before Additional Sessions Judge Gagandeep Singh, Rahul and Jagdeep rose from their seats, pulled out concealed pistols, and opened fire. Gogi was hit multiple times—reports suggest up to seven bullets struck him—collapsing as chaos erupted. Witnesses reported 25-30 rounds fired in total, with a female law intern injured in the crossfire.
Delhi Police personnel accompanying Gogi responded immediately, engaging the assailants in retaliatory fire. Within moments, both Rahul and Jagdeep were gunned down on the spot, their bodies left sprawled in the courtroom. Gogi was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. The attack exposed glaring security lapses, as the shooters had conducted prior reconnaissance, including a failed plan to kill Gogi in Panipat court, before settling on Rohini.
The mastermind behind the hit was Sunil alias Tillu Tajpuriya, Gogi’s arch-nemesis, who orchestrated the murder from Mandoli Jail using WhatsApp calls. Tillu enlisted Umang Yadav, a law graduate familiar with court operations, to brief the shooters and arrange their disguises. Naveen alias Bhanja, a Neeraj Bawana gang member, supplied the weapons, linking multiple gangs in the conspiracy. The plan, hatched in August 2021, exploited the post-COVID hybrid court system, anticipating lighter security.
Aftermath and Legal Fallout
Gogi’s murder sent shockwaves through Delhi, prompting Chief Justice of India NV Ramana to address court security concerns with Delhi High Court’s Chief Justice DN Patel. Delhi Police arrested additional conspirators, including Umang Yadav, Vinay Yadav, and Naveen, while Tillu was placed in custody for interrogation. A 122-page chargesheet filed in December 2021 detailed the conspiracy, charging seven accused under IPC sections for murder, conspiracy, and Arms Act violations.
Personal Life and Legacy
Little is known about Gogi’s personal life. He was cremated on September 26, 2021, in Alipur amid heavy security, suggesting a family presence kept out of the public eye. His legacy is one of violence and defiance, a cautionary tale of a student-turned-gangster whose ambition ended in a blood-soaked courtroom.
Top Ten Interesting Facts About Jitendra Gogi
- College Origins: Gogi’s criminal life began with a college feud at Swami Shraddhanand College in 2010.
- Escape Artist: He fled police custody in 2016, evading capture for years with a ₹6.5 lakh bounty.
- Burari Bloodbath: Led the 2018 killing of Virender Mann, firing 20 bullets in a public execution.
- Tillu Rivalry: His decade-long war with Tillu Tajpuriya claimed numerous lives on both sides.
- Rohini Court Murder: Killed on September 24, 2021, by Tillu gang shooters disguised as lawyers.
- Bold Assassination: Hitmen Rahul Tyagi and Jagdeep fired up to 30 rounds in a packed courtroom.
- Police Retaliation: His killers were shot dead on the spot by Delhi Police in the same encounter.
- Jail Operations: Continued running his gang from Tihar Jail until his death.
- Bishnoi Feud: Clashed with Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang over Delhi’s extortion rackets.
- MCOCA Arrest: Nabbed in 2020 under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
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