Delhi Police encounter specialist Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajbir Singh was murdered tonight, shot point-blank allegedly by a property dealer on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road. Sources said Singh, who was posted in the Special Operations Squad of the Crime Branch, wasn’t accompanied by his security detail when the incident occurred.

The accused, property dealer Vijay Bhardwaj, has been arrested. Police said they recovered Bhardwaj’s car and Rajbir’s body from the dealer’s office.

Rajbir Singh was shunted to the Delhi Armed Police after tapes of his purported conversation with a contractor on a land deal were made public. Later, a vigilance probe gave Singh a clean chit and he returned to the Crime Branch last year.

Gurgaon Commissioner of Police Mohinder Lal told The Indian Express: “We have arrested the accused person in connection with the murder of the Delhi senior police officer. He will now be interrogated.” Police said Bhardwaj shot the ACP in the head at his office, Vijay and Associates. Officials said that Bhardwaj and ACP Rajbir Singh “knew” each other in connection with “several property deals.”