A 24-year-old man from Ludhiana died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head while seated in his car in Sector 17 on Saturday evening around 7.
The deceased, a student at Chandigarh University, was declared dead at Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, after his friends rushed him there.
According to police, the victim had gone to a club in Sector 26 with three to four friends. While returning, they stopped near the liquor vend in Sector 17. Police said the victim was handling a pistol when it allegedly went off accidentally.
Police are, however, probing the circumstances leading to the death. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur said that, prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide, but police teams and forensic experts are investigating the matter and have recorded statements of victim’s friends.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim had come to Chandigarh with his friend who is a resident of Ferozepur. The two had attended a party at a club in Sector 26 before reaching Sector 17. The victim allegedly asked his friend to buy a liquor bottle from the vend, and the gunshot occurred while he was away.
Police recovered a licensed pistol from the Punjab-registered car, which was allegedly owned by the victim’s father. A live cartridge was found in the pistol. The rear window of the car was also found smashed, while a liquor bottle was recovered from inside.
{{/usCountry}}Police recovered a licensed pistol from the Punjab-registered car, which was allegedly owned by the victim’s father. A live cartridge was found in the pistol. The rear window of the car was also found smashed, while a liquor bottle was recovered from inside.
{{/usCountry}}According to police sources, while the victim and his friend were in Sector 26, a female friend had contacted their acquaintance and told him that the two were heavily intoxicated and may not be able to drive. The acquaintance subsequently called the friend, who assured him that he was fit to drive.
Later, the acquaintance contacted the friend again to ask about their location. After initially allegedly giving incorrect locations, he shared his location through his smartphone. The acquaintance and another friend then reached Sector 17, where they found the victim injured inside the car. Police recorded the statements of the three persons and seized the friend’s mobile phone as part of the investigation. Forensic teams were at the spot till the filing of the report late at night. The victim’s family was also informed.