Haryana: Masked men open fire outside highway eatery in Kurukshetra

Police said no injuries were reported but bullets shattered the window panes of at least two cars and damaged the hotel’s glass doors

Two unidentified bike-borne assailants opened fire outside Aman Hotel, a prominent restaurant and fuel station located on National Highway 44 in the Shahabad area of Kurukshetra on Thursday.

The attackers left behind a slip containing a mobile number and additional details, pointing towards a possible case of extortion, say police. (HT)

Police said no injuries were reported but bullets shattered the window panes of at least two cars and damaged the hotel’s glass doors.

According to deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ram Kumar, the attackers, who were masked and riding a bullet without a number plate, arrived at the hotel and began firing indiscriminately before fleeing the scene. “Preliminary findings suggest that 20 to 25 rounds were fired. No one was injured in the firing. We are examining CCTV footage and probing the case from all possible angles,” the DSP added.

According to sources, the attackers left behind a slip containing a mobile number and additional details, pointing towards a possible case of extortion. “The slip appears to be intended to intimidate the hotel’s owners. We have formed seven teams to identify the suspects and trace their potential affiliations or handlers,” said the DSP.

The shooting comes barely two weeks after liquor contractor Shantanu was gunned down nearby on June 13, raising concerns about rising gang activity in the region. The police recently neutralised Romil Vohra, a known hitman of the Kala Rana-Noni Rana gang, in a shootout in Delhi. Vohra had been linked to multiple firing incidents related to the liquor trade in Haryana.