New Delhi, Mar 25 (ANI): Delhi Police (DP) encounter specialist Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rajbir Singh was gunned down allegedly by a property dealer on Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) Road late last night.

Rajbir Singh, posted with Special Operations Squad of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, was allegedly shot dead by Vijay Bharadwaj, a property dealer near Sukhrali village in Gurgaon.

Rajbir was the recipient of the President's Medal for Bravery several times. After several encounters carried by him, he was given Z category security cover.

However, he wasn't accompanied by his security when the incident occurred, which is believed to have taken place around 10:30 p.m. on Monday and the Gurgaon Police informed their Delhi counterparts around midnight.

A Delhi Police team had been sent to the spot to verify details.

Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mahendra Lal confirmed the incident.

Police sources say that the motive behind the incident was a dispute over property on MG Road, which is worth several crores.

The ACP was shifted from the crime branch to Delhi Armed Police after allegations of his involvement in an illegal land deal last year. However, he was given a clean chit after a vigilance probe and posted to head the special anti-terror cell of crime branch in November last year.

ACP Rajbir Singh was the only officer in Delhi Police's history to be promoted to ACP in just 13 years. He joined Delhi Police as Sub-Inspector in 1982 and in 24 years had carried out over 56 encounters.

However, his rise is not without controversy. The encounter killing on November 3, 2002 when he gunned down two terrorists in the basement of Ansal Plaza in South Delhi has been controversial.

Meanwhile, Gurgaon property dealer Vijay Bhardwaj today confessed that he had gunned down Delhi Assistant Commissioner of Police and encounter specialist Rajbir Singh.

Fourty-eight-year-old Singh was attached with the Special Operations Squad and had been provided 'Z' category security cover.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said, "He was shot twice in the head from point blank range on Monday night. The incident took place in Bhardwaj's office near Sukhrali village in Gurgaon in Haryana at around 10:30 pm. It is not confirmed whether the men guarding him were present when he was shot."

"The accused has surrendered and confessed to the crime. It appears that the dispute was over the profit both of them got in a property deal," Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mohinder Lal said.

"I owed some money to Singh and the officer had threatened to kill me. I wanted to commit suicide, but my family found the suicide letter and stopped me," said Bhardwaj.

The Police Commissioner said Bhardwaj had allegedly procured the revolver three days ago from Singh and used the weapon to kill him.

A winner of five medals, including the President's Police Medal for Gallantry, Singh was involved in investigations related to the Parliament and Red Fort attack cases.

He was transferred from the Crime Branch to the Delhi Armed Police after allegations of his involvement in an illegal land deal last year. There were also allegations of his links with drug traffickers and the land mafia.

The vigilance probe, however, gave him a clean chit and he returned to head the Special Operations Squad in November last year.

Rajbir Singh is survived by his wife, a son (14) and a daughter (11). (ANI)