Rohit Shokeen, a close aide and alleged financier of Haryanvi singer Rahul Yadav, alias Fazilpuria, was lured to his death in Gurugram’s Sector 77 late Monday night through a WhatsApp call from a UK-based number, police said on Wednesday.
Shokeen, 40, a resident of Kamaruddin Nagar in Delhi, was allegedly called to the location to resolve a financial dispute involving ₹60 lakh that he had lent to Deepak Nandal, police said. While he was waiting outside his car near Palm Hills society, two assailants in delivery executive uniforms shot him dead. Police said more than 15 bullets were pumped into his head, chest, neck, and abdomen, even after he collapsed, indicating a deliberate attempt to instil fear among his associates, including Fazilpuria.
“The caller was also suspected to be Nandal, a close associate of gangster Sunil Sardhaniya,” a senior police officer said, adding both the gangsters hail from Rohtak and are believed to be hiding abroad.
A social media post in Sardhaniya’s name has since claimed responsibility for the killing and issued threats to Fazilpuria if he fails to return owed money.
“Prima facie, the call originated from a UK number. It is being verified whether it was a virtual number,” said a senior police officer. Shokeen had three criminal cases against him in Delhi, including land grabbing and assault.
As of now, police believe the number used to call Shokeen genuinely belonged to Nandal. However, they are still verifying whether it was spoofed or generated through a virtual platform to mask the caller’s true identity.
Police said Shokeen and Nandal’s relationship soured after the latter failed to return the ₹60 lakh borrowed a few years ago. Shokeen’s father had submitted a complaint last year alleging life threats from Nandal.
Investigators believe the motive was twofold — to avoid repayment and to intimidate Fazilpuria. Shokeen had helped the singer secure a ₹5 crore loan from Sardhaniya through Nandal, which the gang now reportedly wants repaid. On July 14, gunmen hired by Sardhaniya had opened fire on Fazilpuria in Sector 71, from which he survived. Sardhaniya claimed responsibility online.
ACP (Manesar) Virender Saini said multiple teams are raiding locations, including outside Haryana. “The murder site was dark and lacked CCTV coverage. We are scanning other footage for clues,” he said.
Despite multiple attempts from HT, Rahul Yadav remains completely unreachable for a statement. He has yet to issue any public statement regarding the recent developments. The singer has been under police protection since July 14, when he survived an attack—security that was deployed within hours of the incident.