The air hung heavy with grief and the scent of sandalwood as the funeral pyre of Romil Vohra was lit. The scene was stark, a confluence of mourning and infamy. Vohra, a notorious gangster affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and wanted in connection with multiple heinous crimes, including murders and extortion, had been gunned down in an encounter with the Delhi Police Special Cell near the Delhi-Haryana border on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Amidst the throng of onlookers, a figure stood apart, his face etched with a sorrow that transcended the gangster's brutal reputation. It was Kapil Vohra, Romil’s father. As the flames began to consume the mortal remains of his son, a heart-wrenching cry escaped his lips, "No son should be like him..." The words, laden with regret and a father's anguish, echoed through the cremation ground.
Romil Vohra's journey into the world of crime began in Yamunanagar. His first major crime occurred in December 2024, when he and his associates brutally murdered three liquor businessmen – Virender Rana, Arjun Rana, and Pankaj Malik – outside a gym. This act of violence marked the beginning of Vohra’s ascent in the criminal underworld. He quickly became a key shooter for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, operating under the guidance of Bhanu Rana, a Georgia-based operative.
Vohra’s rap sheet grew rapidly. He was wanted in connection with the murder of Shantanu, a liquor contractor in Kurukshetra, who was fatally shot on June 14, 2025. Vohra and an accomplice, riding a sports bike, had pumped seven bullets into Shantanu before hijacking another motorcycle at gunpoint to escape. He spread terror in Delhi and Haryana through shooting incidents and extortion threats, sending chilling messages to businessmen. The Haryana Police had placed a reward of Rs 3.1 lakh on his head.
The encounter that led to Vohra’s death occurred after a tip-off from the Haryana Police about his movements. A joint team of the Delhi Police Special Cell and Haryana’s Special Task Force intercepted Vohra near Dera Mandi. According to Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha, Vohra opened fire in an attempt to escape, leading to a shootout in which he and two police officers were injured. Vohra was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The news of Vohra's death triggered immediate reactions from his gang. Bhanu Rana, the Georgia-based operative, posted a threatening message on Instagram, vowing revenge for the encounter. "We will definitely take revenge for this encounter and get justice for our brother," the post read. "In our tradition, death is the revenge for death. Whether we have to kill the policemen in it or whoever we come to know was involved... no matter who he is, whatever his level, we will kill him." Delhi Police officials have acknowledged the threat and are investigating its authenticity, with a senior officer stating that the post is being taken seriously and that legal action would be taken against anyone threatening police officers.
As the flames rose higher, consuming the last vestiges of Romil Vohra's physical existence, his father’s lament served as a stark reminder of the human cost of crime. It was a poignant expression of regret, a father’s desperate wish that his son had chosen a different path, a path that wouldn't have ended in a blaze of gunfire and a funeral pyre witnessed by a society scarred by his actions. The hope that no other parent would have to endure the same agony hung heavy in the air, a silent plea rising with the smoke.
