On a February morning in Delhi, a 40-year-old businessman named Vaibhav Gandhi left for work and never arrived — shot dead near his factory in what appeared to be a targeted ambush. Weeks later, police closed in on two suspects in Shahbad Dairy, arresting Mohammad Irfan and Aishwarya Pandey after a gunfight that left both men wounded. Seven people are now in custody, yet the deeper question — who truly ordered the killing, and why — continues to press against the edges of the investigation.
Two suspects in businessman's killing arrested after police encounter in Delhi
Vaibhav Gandhi, a 40-year-old businessman, was killed in a targeted shooting on February 9, 2026, while commuting to his factory.
Three men intercepted the vehicle. Gandhi was chased down and shot dead.
Mark
Why would two men with such long criminal records be moving through Shahbad Dairy that morning? Were they fleeing, or planning something else?
Mimi
Police said they were on their way to commit another crime when officers spotted them. Whether that's true or whether they were simply trying to disappear into the city—that's still part of what investigators are working through.
Mark
The US-based gangsters claimed responsibility on social media. That seems like a clear motive. Why did police dismiss it so quickly?
Mimi
They found no evidence to back it up. A social media post is easy to make. Connecting it to actual planning, to money, to communication with people on the ground—that's harder. Police looked and found nothing.
Mark
Irfan had 40 prior cases. How does someone with that record stay active enough to allegedly plan a businessman's murder?
Mimi
He was never locked away long enough to stop. The system processes him, releases him, and he returns to the same networks, the same people. That's the pattern with men like him.
Mark
What happens to the other five people already arrested? Are they the actual shooters?
Mimi
That's what the investigation is trying to establish now. You have seven people in custody. You need to figure out who pulled the trigger, who planned it, who ordered it. The pieces are still being assembled.
The Pulse
- A businessman was ambushed and killed in broad daylight, his diaries, laptop, and phone seized by attackers who then disappeared into Delhi's sprawl.
- US-based gangsters claimed responsibility on social media, injecting noise and misdirection into an already complex investigation.
- Police assembled multiple teams and ran intelligence until it pointed to two suspects with long, violent criminal histories moving through Shahbad Dairy.
- Officers laid a trap, survived six rounds of gunfire, and took both suspects into custody after wounding them — bringing the total arrested to seven.
- Despite the arrests, the true chain of command behind the killing remains unconfirmed, and investigators are still working to establish motive.
On a February morning in Delhi, a 40-year-old businessman named Vaibhav Gandhi left for work and never arrived — shot dead near his factory in what appeared to be a targeted ambush. Weeks later, police closed in on two suspects in Shahbad Dairy, arresting Mohammad Irfan and Aishwarya Pandey after a gunfight that left both men wounded. Seven people are now in custody, yet the deeper question — who truly ordered the killing, and why — continues to press against the edges of the investigation.
On the morning of February 9, Vaibhav Gandhi left his Karol Bagh home for his plastic granules factory in Bawana, accompanied by three employees. Near the factory, three men intercepted his vehicle, chased him down, and shot him dead — taking his diaries, laptop, and phone before disappearing into the city.
The case went cold for weeks. Two men identifying themselves as US-based gangsters, Randeep Malik and Anil Pandit, claimed on social media that they had ordered the hit, alleging Gandhi had interfered in their affairs. Police investigated but found nothing to substantiate the claim. Special CP Ravindra Yadav deployed multiple teams to work the case from every direction.
Intelligence eventually led officers to Shahbad Dairy, where Mohammad Irfan, 40, and Aishwarya Pandey, 37, were spotted on a motorcycle. When police moved in, the two men opened fire — six rounds discharged at officers. The team, led by DCP Hareshwar Swami, returned fire, wounding both suspects and taking them into custody.
Irfan carried a record of 40 cases across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, including attempted murder, dacoity, and illegal weapons charges. Pandey's history was shorter but no less serious, with five cases including attempted murder and gangster act violations. Their arrest brought the total number of people held in connection with Gandhi's killing to seven. The investigation continues — the mechanics of the crime are becoming clearer, but the question of who truly ordered it remains open.
On the morning of February 9, Vaibhav Gandhi left his home in Karol Bagh as he had countless times before, heading to the factory where he made plastic granules. His car carried three employees alongside him. Near the factory in Bawana, three men intercepted the vehicle. Gandhi was chased down and shot dead. The attackers grabbed three bags containing his diaries, laptop, and phone, then vanished into the city.
For weeks, the killing remained unsolved. Two men claiming to be US-based gangsters—Randeep Malik and Anil Pandit—posted on social media that they had ordered the hit, saying Gandhi had interfered in their affairs. Police investigated the claim but found nothing to support it. The case demanded answers. Special CP Ravindra Yadav assembled multiple investigative teams to work the murder from every angle.
Intelligence eventually pointed toward two suspects moving through the Shahbad Dairy area. On the morning of the arrest, police laid a trap. Officers spotted Mohammad Irfan, 40, and Aishwarya Pandey, 37, on a motorcycle. When police moved to apprehend them, the men opened fire—six rounds discharged at the officers. The police team, led by DCP Hareshwar Swami, returned fire in self-defense. Both suspects were hit, incapacitated, and taken into custody.
Irfan's criminal past was extensive and violent. His record carried 40 cases across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh: attempted murder, illegal weapons possession, robbery, dacoity, theft, snatching. Pandey's history was shorter but similarly serious—five cases including attempted murder, weapons violations, and gangster act charges. These were not first-time offenders. These were men with years of criminal machinery behind them.
The arrest of Irfan and Pandey brought the total number of people in custody to seven. Five others had been arrested earlier in the investigation. Joint CP Vijay Singh confirmed the details of the encounter and the suspects' apprehension. The case, which had begun with a businessman's morning commute ending in gunfire, was moving toward resolution—though questions remained about who had truly ordered the killing and why.
Notable Quotes
Police said the suspects were apprehended while on their way to commit another crime— Delhi Police
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Crime & Justice