Grief, fear grips village as decade-old gang dispute claims yet another life

Tension and grief hung heavily over Nangal Thakran village on Friday, hours after Deepak Thakran, the 38-year-old nephew of jailed gangster Manjeet Mahal, was gunned down in front of his 10-year-old daughter near Bawana.

- Karn Pratap Singh

NEW DELHI: A heavy police presence—nearly 30 officers in uniform and plainclothes—was deployed across the village, especially near Deepak's home, to prevent any further violence and reassure the shaken community.

When HT visited the village, the mood was one of fear and grief.

At Deepak's home and the nearby crime scene, barely a kilometre apart, residents maintained silence, unwilling to speak about the murder. Both sides of the road leading to his house were lined with 60-70 parked cars belonging to relatives and friends.

A sombre calm descended as Deepak's body, post-autopsy, arrived for cremation. More than 200 people attended the funeral under tight security. Villagers openly discussed the murder, with many blaming Mahal's notoriety for Deepak's death.

"Not only Deepak but all his family members are innocent and law-abiding people. His only fault is being Manjeet Mahal's nephew. We never saw him involved in any dispute," said Rakesh Kumar, a local resident.