Police also found that the assailants had abandoned the scooter used in the crime and a Glock pistol near Raj Ghat while fleeing.A key conspirator and one of the two shooters involved in the firing at an advocate linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s legal team near Kashmere Gate ISBT last week was arrested by the Delhi Police on Tuesday.Police identified the accused as Rohit Solanki (26), a resident of Pooth Kalan in Rohini. A member of the Rohit Godara gang, Solanki allegedly planned and executed the attack on advocate Deepak Khatri – the husband of Lawrence’s lawyer Rajini Khatri.Deepak, a 45-year-old Paschim Vihar resident, was shot at on February 24 when he and his associates were returning from the Marghat Wale Hanuman Temple in Kashmere Gate. Around 10.05 pm, as their car reached near a rain basera on Ring Road, assailants on a scooter opened fire, injuring Deepak’s aide Sandeep, who sustained two bullet wounds.The PTI reported that in a parallel operation, the Crime Branch arrested Sagar Malik (22), also a resident of Pooth Kalan, who allegedly provided logistical support, including the scooter used in the crime and fake SIM cards to the shooters. Malik was apprehended from Rohini.According to police, Deepak had become a target amid escalating rivalry between the Godara and Lawrence Bishnoi gangs.Police said the conspiracy to eliminate Deepak was allegedly hatched by Godara in coordination with Solanki after tensions between the two gangs intensified following the murder of Sukhdeep alias Sippa – believed to be a key financier of Lawrence Bishnoi – in Dubai last November. The rivalry escalated after Inderpreet alias Parry, a member of the Godara gang, was shot dead in Chandigarh last December.DCP (North) Raja Banthia said Solanki had conducted reconnaissance of Khatri’s routine movements. “He identified the temple as a vulnerable location and coordinated with the shooters. On the day of the incident, he was present at the spot and facilitated the attack,” Banthia said.Story continues below this adInvestigators analysed footage from nearly 300 CCTV cameras installed in and around the temple and along possible escape routes. The DCP said that given the presence of a heavy crowd at the temple, identifying the suspects proved difficult. “Our teams examined the footage frame by frame and shortlisted nearly 200 individuals. Through technical surveillance and local intelligence, we zeroed in on Solanki,” the DCP added.Police said Solanki used SIM cards procured on fake identities and communicated with accomplices through virtual private networks to evade detection.“After the attack, he allegedly fled to Jaipur and then travelled to Bangkok in an attempt to reach Dubai. However, he was deported from Bangkok and returned to India, after which he went into hiding at an acquaintance’s house in Majra Dabas,” said Joint CP (Central Range) Madhur Verma.A joint team of the North District Special Staff and the Anti-Narcotics Cell arrested him after multiple raids across Delhi and neighbouring areas.Story continues below this adDuring questioning, Solanki allegedly told police that he had come into contact with members of the Godara gang in 2019 and gradually began coordinating activities for them. He was allegedly promised a substantial sum to track Deepak and share his movements with the shooters. Police said an earlier attempt to target Deepak in Dehradun had failed.Police also found that the assailants had abandoned the scooter used in the crime and a Glock pistol near Raj Ghat while fleeing. The weapon was later picked up by a truck driver and accidentally discharged in the Patparganj Industrial Area, injuring a co-worker. This helped police recover the firearm and link it to the Kashmere Gate firing case. Police said the pistol and Rs 39,500 in cash have been recovered.