Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya,33, was immediately taken to Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Tajpuriya was killed after he was attacked and stabbed with an iron rod inside Tihar Jail allegedly by at least four jail inmates, purportedly belonging to his rival group.

The attackers -- Deepak alias Titar, Yogesh alias Tunda, Rajesh and Riyaz Khan -- were lodged on the first floor of the same ward.

Who was Sunil Maan alias Tillu Tajpuriya?

1. A resident of Tajpur village near Alipur in Delhi, Tillu Tajpuriya was arrested in 2016 for his multiple crimes and since then he has been in jail.

2. In September 2021, Tajpuriya was allegedly involved in the murder of Jitender Maan alias Gogi in a shootout inside a courtroom at Rohini courts complex.

3. Gogi, 30, who was in Tihar jail, had come to court for a hearing on September 24. Within minutes of Gogi’s entering the court, two gunmen, who were in lawyers’s attire shot Gogi dead. The two gunmen, who are members of Tillu gang, were shot dead by the police team. Until his arrest in March 2020, Gogi, a resident of Alipur in outer Delhi was the most wanted gangster in Delhi. He had at least 19 cases of murder, robbery, and extortion.

4. The rivalry between Tillu and Gogi dates back to 2009-10, when both were friends but supporting different candidates in elections in Swami Shraddhanand College in outer Delhi.

5. "Differences arose between them during the elections and the friends became enemies. Their rivalry has claimed over 20 lives since 2013. Tillu emerged as the mastermind behind Gogi's attack. He was arrested and chargesheeted in the case," said the special cell officer.

Tajpuriyaan was named the mastermind of the September 2021 shootout at Delhi’s Rohini court that left his friend-turned-rival gangster Jitender Maan dead. Gunmen dressed as lawyers killed Jitender Maan, alias Gogi, inside a courtroom before police shot dead the two assailants.

Police said Tajpuriya’s attackers were lodged on the first floor of the high-security ward. They cut the grill and came to the ground floor where Tajpuriya was lodged using bedsheets. Another inmate identified as Rohit suffered injuries in Tuesday’s attack but was said to be out of danger.

Delhi prisons chief Sanjay Baniwal said Deepak alias Titar, 31, Yogesh alias Tunda, 30, Rajesh, 42, and Riyaz Khas, 39, lodged on the first floor of the same high-risk ward attacked Tajpuriya around 6.15am.

“They cut the iron grill installed on the first floor of the ward and used [the bar as] an improvised ice pick. Tillu was injured and rushed to Deep Dayal Upadhyaya [DDU] Hospital after the required medical attention at the jail. Tajpuriya died during treatment at the DDU hospital,” said Baniwal.

Additional deputy police commissioner (west) Akshat Kaushal said they were told that two under-trial prisoners were admitted to DDU Hospital with injuries from Tihar Jail. “One of them, Sunil alias Tilu was brought [to the hospital] in an unconscious state. He was later declared dead. Another inmate, Rohit is undergoing treatment and is out of danger.”

A second jail official said Tajpuriya, who was lodged in jail number 8-9, was attacked when barracks were opened in the morning. “...Tajpuriya was stabbed with the road,” said the jail official, asking not to be named

An officer from the Special Cell of Delhi Police, which is involved in operations against gangsters, said Yogesh alias Tunda and Deepak alias Teetar attacked Tillu by breaking the iron grills of the ward that separated them.

A resident of Tajpur village near Delhi’s Alipur, Tajpuriya was arrested in 2016. Tajpuriya and his gang’s rivalry with Gogi’s gang dated back to 2009 when they were friends but supported different candidates in elections in Swami Shraddhanand College in Outer Delhi.

“Differences arose between them during the elections and the friends became enemies. Their rivalry has claimed over 20 lives since 2013. Gogi was shot dead on September 24, 2021...Tajpuriya emerged as the mastermind behind Gogi’s attack. He was arrested and charge-sheeted in the case,” said the special cell officer.