11km road-rage chase ends in gunfire at Zirakpur-Chandigarh border, 2 hurt

According to police, Dinesh, 35, a resident of Fatehabad, was with his friends on VIP Road in Zirakpur around 10 pm, when a food delivery man asked them to make way, leading to an argument

A heated argument over parking space spiraled into a violent clash and gunfire near the Zirakpur-Chandigarh border on Friday night, leaving two men injured.

During the pursuit, both sides exchanged abuses and hurled stones at each other. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to police, Dinesh, 35, a resident of Fatehabad, was with his friends on VIP Road in Zirakpur around 10 pm. While one of them stepped away, the others remained seated in a Santro car parked on a narrow stretch of road. Meanwhile, a food delivery man asked them to move their vehicle to make way, spurring a heated argument.

The food delivery man initially left, but returned shortly with four to five associates on motorcycles and a white Gypsy. One of the men allegedly flashed a weapon and threatened them, said Dinesh. Fearing for their safety, he and his friends fled in their car.

But the group pursued them, chasing them for around 11 km, before intercepting their Santro near the Chandigarh-Zirakpur border.

During the pursuit, both sides exchanged abuses and hurled stones at each other. As the vehicles descended from a flyover, the Gypsy stopped the Santro. A violent scuffle broke out, during which the rear windshield of the Santro was smashed, and the occupants were dragged out and assaulted.

Dinesh alleged that one of the attackers ordered another, identified as Rajkumar of Zirakpur, to shoot him. Rajkumar reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Dinesh, hitting him near the chest.

Rajkumar also sustained a head injury in the scuffle. Both men were admitted to GMCH, Sector 32, where police took their statements. In his statement, Rajkumar claimed that he assumed that the Santro occupants had done something wrong and chased them. He claimed that Dinesh pointed a firearm at him first, prompting him to retaliate. Subsequently, cross-FIRs were lodged against both Dinesh and Rajkumar. Further investigation is underway.