For nearly a week, Aarif alias ‘Pistol’, an alleged operative of the Goldy Brar gang, had been living in Ahmedabad while Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police teams were looking for him.The fugitive, wanted in more than 11 cases including attempted murder, firing and extortion, was finally arrested from Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur area in a late-night operation by Ahmedabad Crime Branch and Delhi Police, with Ahmedabad Rural SOG also joining the search after his movements were traced in its jurisdiction.
But the investigation has revealed another layer of Aarif’s criminal history: he had worked as a contract shooter.
From Jail to Contract Firing
Aarif had been lodged in Tihar and Muzaffarpur jails. According to senior police official sources, it was during his time in jail that a fellow inmate allegedly convinced him to take up contract shooting assignments for a Dubai-based individual from the Goldy gang.
Aarif subsequently carried out three such firing incidents in and around Delhi-NCR.
According to senior police official sources, the assignments were tightly defined. Aarif was allegedly given only the locations of the targets and was instructed to fire a single round in the air.
He was not provided the identities of the targets or any further details about them, senior police official sources said. His alleged payment was only for carrying out the firing task.
After those incidents, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police teams began searching for him.
Four-Five Days in Ahmedabad
While the police hunt continued, Aarif reached Ahmedabad around four to five days before his arrest. According to senior police official sources, he was staying in Ahmedabad and looking for temporary work. He was likely planning to drive an autorickshaw during his stay, the sources said.
Senior police official sources also denied the possibility of Aarif targeting any local individuals in Gujarat. His movements were subsequently traced within Ahmedabad Rural Police jurisdiction. The Ahmedabad Rural SOG then joined the operation and extended the search into its jurisdiction.
The Vejalpur Trail
The joint operation eventually led police teams to Vejalpur, where Aarif was apprehended during a late-night operation.
According to senior police official sources, Aarif was wanted in more than 11 criminal cases involving attempted murder, firing and extortion. Senior police official sources alleged that he acted as an operational link for the Goldy Brar gang, facilitating high-value threat calls and extortion activities allegedly routed through Dubai.
The sources said Aarif frequently changed residences and concealed his identity to evade tracking by teams operating across states.
His joint interrogation is underway to identify alleged local accomplices, trace financial networks and establish the extent of his alleged involvement in the gang’s activities.
Contract Shooter, Then Extortion Link
The investigation now brings together two alleged aspects of Aarif’s criminal activities. One relates to the three contract firing assignments he allegedly carried out around Delhi-NCR after being introduced to the work by a fellow inmate.
The other relates to his alleged role as an operational link in the Goldy Brar gang’s extortion network. Senior police official sources said the earlier contract assignments involved firing a single round in the air at locations provided to him, without giving him the identities or further details of the intended targets.
He is now being questioned over his alleged links, associates and financial network, senior police official sources said.
The Goldy Brar Connection
Goldy Brar, whose real name is Satinderjeet Singh, has been linked by investigating agencies to an organised criminal network operating across India and overseas. The gang has been associated with extortion, targeted killings, arms and drug smuggling, and recruitment of shooters. Brar came into the spotlight after claiming responsibility for the 2022 murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
The National Investigation Agency has also investigated his alleged role in extortion and firing cases, including a Chandigarh-based racket in which businessmen were allegedly threatened for money.
For Aarif, the Ahmedabad arrest ended a multi-state search. The investigation now turns to what police can establish about his alleged role in the wider network, his contacts and the financial channels connected to it.
