A 45-year-old man was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants in outer Delhi’s Bawana on Saturday, with his family alleging that they had alerted police about life threats two days before the killing, officials said.

The family also accused Vicky Handal, whom they described as a close aide of Canada-based gangster Himanshu Bhau, of orchestrating the murder.

They claimed Handal’s family had fled their house after the incident.

However, the police said there was no immediate indication of a gang war.

The police identified the deceased as Joginder alias Kala, a resident of Pooth Khurd village.

According to the police, a PCR call reporting the firing was received around 8.15 am.

The victim was rushed to Maharishi Valmiki Hospital after the shooting but was declared dead, police said.

Crime and forensic teams inspected the spot and recovered multiple empty cartridges. CCTV footage from the area is being examined and raids are underway to trace the suspects.

Family members claimed Joginder had gone to a nearby plot when three men arrived on a motorcycle and fired about seven rounds at him from close range before fleeing.

The victim’s relatives alleged that they had submitted written complaints to the police two days earlier, claiming there was a threat to Joginder’s life because of an old rivalry.

They alleged that police had sought time to look into the matter.

Preliminary investigation suggests the killing may have stemmed from a long-running personal enmity between the two families, they added.

The police said the exact motive is yet to be established, and all allegations made by the victim’s family are being verified as part of the investigation.

A case of murder has been registered and efforts are underway to arrest those involved.