Man shot dead outside Amravati mall in Haryana’s Panchkula, hunt on for two accused

Victim’s cousin, who was injured in the attack, identifies two accused; video surfaces online in which attackers cited personal rivalry and claimed they acted on directions of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol.

A man in his twenties was shot dead and his cousin seriously injured when two assailants opened fire at them outside a mall in Amravati Enclave in Haryana’s Panchkula district at 10.45pm on Thursday, police said on Friday.

Police and forensic experts collecting evidence from the shooting site near the mall in Amravati Enclave on the Zirakpur-Shimla highway in Panchkula district on Thursday night. (Sant Arora/HT)

The deceased was identified as Sonu Nolta, a resident of Nolta village near Pinjore town, while his cousin, Nitin Panwar, alias Prince, 20, was rushed to Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, with a bullet wound to his thigh.

Soon after the incident that triggered panic in the residential area along the national highway to Shimla, a video surfaced online in which the two accused are seen claiming responsibility, stating they had orchestrated the attack due to personal rivalry and on the directions of Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

In his statement to the police, Nitin, who is a diploma student at Government Polytechnic and a resident of Mallah village, Panchkula, said he had accompanied Sonu and his friend, Jaspreet Kaur, to a movie at the mall on Thursday night.

The duo walked up to the driver’s window and opened fire at Sonu, who slumped into the seat with multiple bullet injuries, while Panwar sustained a gunshot wound to his left thigh. The attackers fled in their vehicle, which already had other men inside, possibly armed accomplices.

Nitin managed to call his maternal uncle from his phone to report the attack.

Haryana Police reached the scene after receiving the alert. However, by then, both the victims had been rushed to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula. Doctors declared Sonu brought dead, while Nitin was given first aid and referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Sub-inspector Rajbir Singh from PGI police post recorded Nitin’s statement at 3.40am on Friday. Nitin confirmed he knew both the accused, Piyush and Ankush, personally and demanded strict action against them and their accomplices.

Based on his statement, a case was registered under Sections 103(1), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 25, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act at Pinjore police station.

The police are now on the lookout for Piyush, Ankush and their unidentified accomplices.