Haryana man shot dead in clash over car vandalism in Ludhiana

Police say the victim, a driver by profession, had accompanied his friends to confront the suspected vandals when the clash broke out

A 31-year-old man from Panchkula, Haryana, was shot dead during a clash between two groups in the EWS Colony area near Tajpur Road in the early hours of Wednesday after he accompanied his friends to confront a group suspected of vandalising their associate’s car.

Harry was rushed to a private hospital, where he later died. (HT)

Police said the two groups had also clashed on Tuesday evening over another issue before a fresh confrontation later that night led to the fatal shooting.

The deceased, identified as Dilbara Singh, alias Harry, sustained a bullet injury to his chest and succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital on Wednesday morning. A driver by profession, Harry had been living with his wife in rented accommodation in Ludhiana for the past six to seven months.

Deputy commissioner of police (Rural) Gursewak Singh said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that Harry and his associates had clashed with a rival group near Tajpur Road on Tuesday evening. The two groups assembled again later that night, resulting in another confrontation during which one of the accused opened fire.”

“The victim’s group outnumbered the rival faction. Realising that they could be overpowered, one of the accused, identified as Jonty, pulled out a firearm and opened fire and a bullet struck Harry in the chest,” the DCP said.

According to Harry’s wife, Rajwinder Kaur, a homemaker, the couple was at their rented residence on Tuesday night when some of his friends arrived and informed him that their associate Vikas’s car had been vandalised. Harry accompanied them to confront those suspected of damaging the vehicle.

Rajwinder said she received a call from one of her husband’s friends around 3 am informing her that Harry had been shot. She also claimed that her husband had been assaulted by a group of youngsters the previous weekend and suspected that the same individuals might have been responsible for the fatal attack.

Harry’s friends alleged that some residents of the locality, whom they accused of involvement in criminal activities, had vandalised Vikas’s car. They said the group had gathered to question those responsible for the damage when an altercation broke out and shots were fired. Harry was rushed to a private hospital, where he later died.

The DCP said investigators were probing whether a longstanding dispute existed between the two groups, as preliminary findings suggested that they had been involved in previous confrontations.

“A probe to establish the nature of the firearm, whether it was licensed or illegal, used in the shooting is underway. A hunt is on to nab the accused, the officer added.

Shop owner, father attacked with baseball bat over parking dispute

A man reportedly attacked a shop owner and his father with a baseball bat and allegedly threatened them with a revolver outside their shop over a parking dispute in Purani Madhopuri on Wednesday.

The elderly man sustained a head injury and was taken to civil hospital for treatment.

According to shop owner Sanchit, a car parked outside his shop obstructed the opening of its shutter. When his father asked the car owner, their

neighbour, to move the vehicle, the latter allegedly hurled abuses and manhandled him before pulling out a revolver and threatening those present.

The accused then took a baseball bat from his car and struck both Sanchit and his father before fleeing. While Sanchit sustained minor injuries, his father suffered a head wound that required stitches.

Inspector Gurjit Singh, station house officer of Division No. 3 police station, said the police had asked the victim to submit a formal complaint before registering an FIR and investigators were examining CCTV footage from the area to verify the allegations.