New Delhi: Tihar jail inmate, Ankit Gujjar, who was involved in several criminal cases, was found dead in his cell on the morning of Wednesday, August 4. Two of his cellmates were found injured, officials said.

Gujjar was 29 years old. The injured inmates, Gurjeet Singh (22) and his brother Gurpreet (22), were taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel said Gujjar was found dead in his cell in Central Jail No.3 of Tihar.

He was involved in several murder and robbery cases, had been in jail several times and in the latest spell had spent more than a year in jail.

Indian Express has identified Gujjar as the man who allegedly killed Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Pandit in Greater Noida. In the report, Gujjar's father is quoted as having said that jail officials killed him as he had refused to give them "protection money."

"They were demanding Rs 10,000 from him as protection money, but he refused to give and they started targeting him,” he told the newspaper.

A senior police officer said, "We got a call around 9.15 am about the death of jail inmate Ankit Gujjar, a resident of Khela village in Uttar Pradesh's Bhaghpat, who was arrested in a 2019 murder case that was registered at Saket police station. He was previously found involved in 18 cases."

When the police team reached the spot, Gujjar was found dead.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Prashant Gautam said, "Inquest proceedings are being conducted in the matter by the metropolitan magistrate. Action will be taken as per the inquest report and the post-mortem report of Gujjar."

Injured inmate Gurpreet, a resident of Dakshin Puri here, was arrested in 2018 in a murder case along with his brother Gurjeet, the police said.

Gurpreet is involved in five criminal cases while his brother is involved in three cases.

(With PTI inputs)

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