Delhi Gym Trainer Vijay Kumar Shot Dead Near Aya Nagar Gym; Police Probe Long-Running Rivalry
Vijay Kumar was called outside a gym near Hansa Chowk in south Delhi before gunmen opened fire on Monday morning. Police have formed multiple teams and are examining personal enmity and a possible connection to an older rivalry in the area.
the police investigation into the shooting of gym trainer Vijay Kumar near a gym in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar
Table of Contents (17 sections)
A gym trainer was shot dead outside a fitness centre in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar on Monday morning, prompting a large police investigation into what authorities suspect may have been a targeted killing linked to personal enmity.
The victim, Vijay Kumar, was inside a gym near Hansa Chowk in the Fatehpur Beri police station area when he was called outside shortly after 10 am on September 14, according to police and family accounts. Gunmen then opened fire before fleeing the area.
Police said around 15 rounds were fired. Kumar suffered multiple gunshot injuries and died following the attack. An FIR has been registered and multiple teams have been formed to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Anant Mittal said the initial motive appeared to involve personal enmity. Investigators are also examining whether the killing is connected to a longstanding rivalry involving families or groups in Aya Nagar, but that possible connection remains under investigation and has not been established as the final motive.
Key Takeaways
Gym trainer Vijay Kumar was shot dead near Hansa Chowk in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar on the morning of September 14.
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Police said two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire after Kumar was called outside the gym; another detailed account said four men arrived on two motorcycles, with two carrying out the shooting.
Police said around 15 rounds were fired. Reports on the exact number have varied as the investigation develops.
Investigators initially suspect personal enmity and are examining whether the killing is connected to a longstanding local rivalry that has previously been associated with other deaths.
An FIR has been registered, several police teams are conducting raids and examining evidence, and no arrest had been reported in the latest available updates.
Additional security personnel were deployed in Aya Nagar following the shooting to prevent further escalation.
Vijay Kumar Was Called Outside the Gym
Police and family members said Kumar was working at a gym near Hansa Chowk when someone asked him to come outside.
According to the police account carried by PTI, two motorcycle-borne assailants then opened fire. The shooting took place at about 10 am before the attackers fled.
A later report by The Indian Express, citing police sources, provided a somewhat broader account: four men allegedly arrived on two motorcycles, with two of them opening fire on Kumar. The report said the attackers were wearing helmets.
The differing accounts mean the precise number of people involved remains one of the details investigators will need to establish.
The clearest point supported across reports is that at least two gunmen were involved and that the attack occurred after Kumar was brought outside the gym.
Around 15 Rounds Fired, Police Say
Early reports differed on the exact number of shots.
Some initial accounts referred to approximately 10 to 12 rounds, while police information subsequently cited by PTI placed the number at around 15. A later Tribune report said police estimated between 15 and 20 rounds.
The Tribune reported that eight empty cartridges and one live cartridge were recovered from the scene.
Because forensic examination remains part of the investigation, an exact final count should not be treated as settled solely on the basis of preliminary reporting.
What is clear is that multiple shots were fired in a concentrated attack near the gym.
Reports Differ on Vijay Kumar’s Age
There has also been a discrepancy in initial reporting about Kumar’s age.
Some early police-based reports described him as about 28 years old, including reports from The New Indian Express and NDTV.
Later reports from The Indian Express and The Times of India identified him as 32.
Given that inconsistency, describing him simply as gym trainer Vijay Kumar is more accurate until the age is definitively established through official records.
Personal Enmity Is the Initial Police Theory
Police have not announced a final motive.
DCP Anant Mittal said the initial investigation suggested personal enmity, while officers were simultaneously examining whether the shooting forms part of a longer cycle of conflict in Aya Nagar.
That distinction is important.
A suspected motive is an investigative theory, not a finding of criminal responsibility. Police must still establish who planned and carried out the attack and what circumstances led to the killing.
Kumar’s family has also offered its own account of the possible background, but those claims remain allegations unless supported by evidence gathered during the investigation.
Police Examine Possible Link to Older Aya Nagar Rivalry
One of the principal angles under examination is a longstanding rivalry that has previously been associated with killings in the area.
The Indian Express reported that Kumar’s family believes his death may be connected to a dispute between two sides in Aya Nagar. Police are investigating that possibility.
According to the newspaper’s account, police trace part of the rivalry to a financial dispute involving Arun and Deepak, the son of dairy businessman Ratan Lohia. The two were reportedly once friends before their relationship deteriorated.
Arun was killed near Chhattarpur Metro Station in April 2024, the report said. Deepak and Kumar’s younger brother Ajay are in Tihar Jail in connection with that case. Their legal status should not be confused with a determination of guilt unless established through the judicial process.
Vijay Kumar’s Uncle Was Killed in 2025
The investigation is also examining the significance of the killing of Kumar’s uncle, Ratan Lohia.
The Indian Express reported that Ratan, a dairy businessman, was shot dead in Aya Nagar in November 2025. Kumar’s relatives have alleged that the two killings are connected to the same broader rivalry.
Police have not publicly established that Kumar’s murder and Ratan’s killing were carried out by the same people.
That remains an important distinction as investigators reconstruct the background to Monday’s attack.
PTI also reported that police were examining whether Kumar’s killing could be linked to the earlier violence, while family members claimed several deaths had resulted from the continuing dispute.
Family Says Vijay Was Not Personally Involved in a Dispute
Kumar’s relatives have maintained that he was focused on his work and did not have a personal conflict of his own.
His sister told PTI that he had not been involved in an argument or dispute in the village and worked as a gym trainer.
His uncle similarly described him as a trainer supporting his family.
Those statements represent the family’s account. Investigators will need to examine Kumar’s movements, communications, relationships and any connection to the earlier cases before reaching conclusions about why he was targeted.
Police Examine CCTV and Other Evidence
Investigators are reviewing available CCTV footage and other evidence from the area as they try to trace the attackers.
Police have registered an FIR, constituted several teams and conducted raids at multiple locations, according to the latest reports.
One investigative question is whether the attackers deliberately called Kumar outside because cameras were present inside the gym.
Kumar’s uncle raised that possibility in comments reported by PTI, saying the attackers appeared to know Kumar was inside. That explanation remains the relative’s interpretation rather than an established police finding.
Investigators are also expected to examine the motorcycles used in the attack, nearby surveillance footage, mobile-phone data and the movements of potential suspects before and after the shooting.
Number of Assailants Remains Under Examination
Reports about how many people participated in the attack are not entirely consistent.
The initial official account referred to two bike-borne assailants.
The Times of India later reported, citing sources, that four men may have been involved and were allegedly waiting outside on two motorcycles, although the newspaper noted that police had publicly referred to two attackers.
The Indian Express also reported four men arriving on two motorcycles, with two allegedly firing at Kumar.
Until police complete the identification process, the safest description is that two men are alleged to have carried out the shooting while investigators are examining whether additional accomplices were involved.
Security Increased in Aya Nagar
The attack caused concern in Aya Nagar because of the area's history of earlier violent incidents.
Police deployed additional security personnel following the shooting to maintain order and prevent further escalation, The New Indian Express and NDTV reported.
Senior officers also reached the location after the shooting.
The security deployment does not itself establish that retaliatory violence is imminent. It is a precautionary law-and-order measure while investigators work to identify the assailants and determine the motive.
No Arrest Reported in Latest Updates
As of the latest reports reviewed on September 15, police had not announced an arrest in Kumar’s killing.
The Times of India reported late on September 14 that no arrests had been made, while subsequent reports said teams were continuing raids and searches for the suspects.
Investigators have not publicly identified the alleged shooters.
That means names circulating through family allegations, local claims or social media should not be presented as the perpetrators unless police formally identify suspects and evidence supports those allegations.
Even after an arrest, criminal responsibility would ultimately remain a matter for the courts.
Police Also Examine Possible Gang Connection
The Indian Express reported that investigators are examining whether people associated with organised criminal groups may have played a role in the attack.
Police had previously examined alleged gangster involvement in Ratan Lohia’s killing, according to the report.
However, no gang connection in Vijay Kumar’s killing has yet been established publicly.
An online claim of responsibility also surfaced after the attack, but police said they were checking its authenticity. It should therefore not be treated as evidence that any particular criminal group carried out the shooting.
Why the Rivalry Angle Requires Care
The sequence of earlier killings makes the rivalry theory an important investigative lead, but it does not by itself prove who was responsible for Kumar’s death.
Family members have made allegations about the people they believe may be connected to the violence.
Police, meanwhile, have described personal enmity as an initial motive and are investigating whether the latest shooting belongs to the same chain of events.
Those are different evidentiary levels.
A family accusation is an allegation. A police suspicion is an investigative theory. An arrest would indicate that investigators believe there is a legal basis to take a person into custody. None of those stages is equivalent to a conviction.
Keeping those distinctions clear is particularly important in a case involving an ongoing local dispute in which further investigation may substantially change the factual picture.
What Happens Next
The immediate priority for Delhi Police is to identify and locate the shooters and establish whether other people assisted them.
Investigators are expected to continue analysing CCTV recordings, physical evidence recovered from the scene, vehicle movements and communication records.
Police will also need to determine whether Kumar was specifically targeted because of events connected to the earlier rivalry or whether another motive was involved.
The investigation into the previous killings is likely to provide important context, but authorities must establish evidentiary links rather than assume that all of the incidents are part of the same chain.
Security deployment in Aya Nagar is expected to remain important while police assess the possibility of further tensions.
Bottom Line
Gym trainer Vijay Kumar was shot dead after being called outside a gym near Hansa Chowk in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar on September 14.
Police say around 15 rounds were fired and have identified personal enmity as an initial possible motive. Multiple teams have been formed, raids are underway and investigators are examining whether the killing is connected to a longstanding rivalry associated with previous deaths in the area.
Accounts differ on Kumar’s age, the precise number of shots and whether two or four people participated in the attack. Those discrepancies should remain open until investigators establish the sequence through forensic and surveillance evidence.
As of the latest available updates, no arrest had been announced. Additional security personnel have been deployed in Aya Nagar while the investigation continues.
Key Takeaway
Gym trainer Vijay Kumar was shot dead outside a gym in Aya Nagar on September 14.
Police are investigating personal enmity and a possible link to a longstanding local rivalry.
Multiple teams are working; no arrest has been reported yet.
Additional security has been deployed in the area.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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