2 arrested for plotting killing of Munawar, others
The Delhi Police arrested two members of the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar-Virender Charan gang who were allegedly tasked with killing stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui and other high-profile targets. Police officials said that the gangsters were arrested after a gunfight on Jaitpur-Kalindi Kunj Road, and have been identified as Rahul and Sahil, from Panipat and Bhiwani of Haryana, respectively.
According to police, the accused, identified as Rahul, 29, from Panipat and Sahil, 37, from Bhiwani in Haryana, were intercepted by a team of the Special Cell’s Counter Intelligence Unit following specific inputs.
When asked to stop, they allegedly opened fire at police, prompting retaliatory firing in which they were shot in the 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,” the officer said.
Both were later taken to a hospital, and the motorcycle they were riding and their firearms were seized. According to investigators, the two had been receiving instructions from foreign-based gangster Rohit Godara, who is associated with Canada-based Goldy Brar and absconding criminal Virender Charan.
They were allegedly mobilised to carry out targeted killings in Delhi-NCR and had also conducted reconnaissance in Mumbai and Bengaluru to track Faruqi’s movements, police said.
“The syndicate has been attempting to expand its influence in celebrity spaces, and Faruqi was among its long-standing targets. The gang had earlier plotted attacks on other celebrities, including the recent firing incident outside actress Disha Patani’s Bareilly residence,” a police officer said.
Rahul, who had a gunshot wound, was wanted in connection with a sensational triple murder that took place in Yamunanagar, Haryana, in December 2024.
Preliminary interrogation suggested that he was one of the unidentified assailants involved in the crime, police said. He was also arrested earlier this year in an Arms Act case in Bikaner, Rajasthan, where he had been sent on a similar hit job.
Sahil, meanwhile, has multiple cases of financial misconduct pending against him in courts in Bhiwani and Sirsa, police said.
The two had recently been diverted to Delhi after their earlier plan to target a prominent social media influencer in Mumbai and Bengaluru could not materialise due to “communication gaps” with handlers abroad, police said.
An investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate and their targets, police said. Munawar Faruqi won reality show Bigg Boss in 2024 and has 14.2 million followers on Instagram.
In 2024, police received intelligence about a threat to Munawar Faruqui’s life while investigating a shooting incident in Delhi. Following this tip, the comedian was rushed back to Mumbai from Delhi. The stand-up comedian is also alleged to be on the hit list of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
It is learnt gangsters Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar believe his jokes on Hindu gods hurt the community’s sentiments. The 33-year-old comedian has been in trouble in the past for his jokes on Hindu deities.
In 2021, he was arrested in Madhya Pradesh under the law against hate speech and spent over a month in jail before being granted bail. Last year, the comedian was detained during a Mumbai Police raid on an illegal Hookah Bar. He was later released on bail.
There has been an increase in criminal activities associated with the Goldy Brar gang, targeting celebrities. Earlier this week, the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a man for threatening comedian and actor Kapil Sharma.
The accused, identified as Dilip Choudhary introduced himself as a member of the Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara gang.
On September 12, two shooters on a motorcycle opened fire outside actor Disha Patani’s house in Bareilly. The Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar gang claimed responsibility for the incident.
