Gangster Sunil Sardhania, who claimed responsibility for the attack on singer-rapper Rahul Fazilpuria.
Gangster Sunil Sardhania has been deported to India from Zurich, Switzerland. He is believed to be the mastermind behind the July 14 attack on singer-rapper Rahul Fazilpuria.
According to officials, Sardhania was first located in Jerusalem with the help of Interpol and then detained in Zurich. The deportation process is now complete.
On arrival in India, the police will detain Sardhania and bring him to Gurugram, where he will be questioned about the attack.
On the night of July 14, Fazilpuria’s car was fired at by two gunshots while he was driving through the village in Sector 71, Gurugram, on the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR). A bullet mark was seen on a pole installed in the middle of the divider; fortunately, the singer escaped without any injury.
In a social-media post soon after, Sardhania claimed responsibility for the attack. He named music producer Deepak Nandal and alleged gang member Indrajit Yadav as co-accused. According to the post:
“Rahul Fazilpuria had taken Rs 5 crore from Nandal and was not returning it. He threatened to kill one of Fazilpuria’s associates every month, for 10 months, if he fails to repay the loan.” Fazilpuria denied the debt claim, saying he never took a loan from Nandal (who was his old friend) and claimed only music labels invested in his career.
Sardhania also faces allegations for the murder of a property dealer and close friend of Fazilpuria, Rohit Shaukeen. Shaukeen was killed in August near the Palm Hills society in Sector 77, Gurugram, when attackers in food-delivery T-shirts fired more than a dozen rounds at him. He died on the spot.
Investigators say his murder is linked to gang warfare and large financial transactions. Deepak Nandal emerged as a prime suspect in both the attack and murder. The murder case has widened the probe beyond the first shooting.
Beyond the immediate attack, this case exposes a troubling overlap between the Haryanvi music industry, large money flows and organised crime. A star singer like Fazilpuria reportedly drew huge sums from a producer, who then took the help of gang elements when repayment faltered.
The money invested in building a “celebrity” from the ground up becomes vulnerable when backed by questionable funding and by criminals. So far, the incident shows how the entertainment world becomes a hotbed for debt, threats and violence. As Sardhania arrives in India for questioning, police will likely probe not just the shooting, but the financial trail that led to it.
On arrival, Sardhania will be taken into custody and interrogated in Gurugram. The police will pursue leads against Deepak Nandal (currently believed overseas), Indrajit Yadav, and other accused shooters arrested earlier.
Investigators will dig deeper into the claimed Rs 5 crore loan, the role of producer-investor links and possible other extortion attempts. Police may also examine how Fazilpuria’s security had been reduced 20 days before the attack, adding to questions of protection for public figures.
