Uncle killed with 69 bullets, nephew now shot dead in Delhi family feud - The Indian Express

Vijay Kumar, 32, was at his gym in Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri area on Monday morning when a man asked him to step out. When he did, two men wearing helmets opened fire, pumping more than a dozen bullets into him and killing him on the spot.

His family alleged that his killing was the result of the rivalry between two families — Arun Lohiya and Ratan Lohiya, who share the same last name.

Last year, both houses saw two murders in the span of a few months, allegedly at each other’s hands. Ratan and Arun were intercepted by armed men in broad daylight before they were shot dead.

“Vijay was innocent… Last year in November, they had murdered my cousin, Ratan, near his house in a similar manner. And now they have killed our innocent nephew,” Vijay’s uncle Narender Kumar told The Indian Express.

Ratan, a milk dairy businessman, was shot around 69 times in Aya Nagar in November 2025. He was reportedly wearing a bulletproof jacket at the time of the attack. “Had Vijay been aware that he might be the next target after his uncle, he might have been a little more alert,” Narender said.

Police said four men riding two motorcycles arrived at Hansa Chowk in Fatehpur Beri around 10, and two of them opened fire at Vijay before fleeing.

“An FIR has been registered in the matter and multiple teams have been constituted. Raids are being conducted at various locations to trace and apprehend the accused persons. The motive initially seems to arise from personal enmity,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Anant Mittal said.

According to the police, the rivalry began with a dispute between Arun and Ratan’s son, Deepak. They used to be friends. The friendship, however, soured over a financial dispute.

Then, Arun allegedly assaulted Deepak. In April 2024, Arun was killed near Chhattarpur Metro Station.

Deepak and Vijay’s younger brother Ajay are lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the case.

Narender said Vijay was the only earning member of his family. “His wife is yet to come to terms with the fact that he is no more. She was already unwell, and after hearing about her husband’s death, her condition has deteriorated further,” he said.

Police suspect the involvement of gangsters in Vijay’s murder.

In Ratan’s murder, the alleged involvement of gangster Neeraj Faridpuria had surfaced. Police had also suspected the role of Western Uttar Pradesh-based gangster Randeep Bhati, who allegedly provided the gunmen to carry out the killing.

Police now suspect that a new set of shooters from the same group may have been involved in Vijay’s killing. Investigators are probing whether the murder was part of the continuing cycle of revenge.