Two Men Arrested In Delhi For Planned Attack On Comedian Munawar Faruqui

Two men allegedly linked to the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar-Virender Charan gang were arrested in Delhi on Thursday following a gunfight on Jaitpur-Kalindi Kunj Road, police said. The duo was reportedly tasked with targeting stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqi and other high-profile individuals.

According to PTI, the accused have been identified as Rahul, 29, from Panipat, and Sahil, 37, from Bhiwani in Haryana. They were intercepted by a team from the Special Cell’s Counter Intelligence Unit based on specific intelligence inputs.

The police said that when the men were asked to stop, they allegedly fired at officers. Police returned fire, wounding both in their legs. "A professional trap was laid after intelligence indicated the movement of the two shooters in the Jaitpur-Kalindi Kunj area. Considering the strong apprehension that they were armed and aggressive, our team moved in to apprehend them. In the exchange of fire, both were injured but overpowered," a senior officer told PTI.

Rahul and Sahil were taken to hospital, while the motorcycle they were riding and their firearms were seized.

Investigators told PTI that the two had been receiving instructions from foreign-based gangster Rohit Godara, who is associated with Canada-based Goldy Brar and the absconding criminal Virender Charan. They were allegedly mobilised for targeted killings in Delhi-NCR and had conducted reconnaissance in Mumbai and Bengaluru to track Faruqi’s movements.

PTI reported that the gang had earlier plotted attacks on other celebrities, including a recent firing incident outside actress Disha Patani’s residence in Bareilly. “The syndicate has been attempting to expand its influence in celebrity spaces, and Faruqi was among its long-standing targets,” a police officer said.

Rahul, who sustained a gunshot wound, was reportedly wanted in connection with a triple murder in Yamunanagar, Haryana, in December 2024. Police said preliminary interrogation indicated he was one of the unidentified assailants involved in that case. He had also been arrested earlier this year in an Arms Act case in Bikaner, Rajasthan, where he was reportedly assigned a similar hit job.

Sahil, according to PTI, has multiple cases of financial misconduct pending in courts in Bhiwani and Sirsa. Investigators said the two were recently redirected to Delhi after their plan to target a social media influencer in Mumbai and Bengaluru was delayed due to communication gaps with handlers abroad.

An ongoing investigation aims to identify other members of the syndicate and their potential targets. Faruqi, who won the reality show Bigg Boss in 2024 and has over 14 million followers on Instagram, has reportedly been under observation by multiple gangs in recent months, police sources told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)