A 35-year-old Sikh businessman was shot dead by two masked assailants at his car washing centre in the Milak Khanam area of Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district on Saturday afternoon.
Police are investigating whether the murder was linked to a property dispute involving his marriage to a 50-year-old widowed relative.
The victim, Navjot Singh, son of Nishan Singh, was inside his centre in Tahkala village around 4pm when the two assailants arrived and opened fire at close range. He sustained four bullet injuries and collapsed. Hearing the gunshots, family members and villagers rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood.
The incident, captured by CCTV cameras, led to protests by the victim’s family members. They became agitated when the police arrived and raised allegations against those they suspected of being involved in the murder. A crowd gathered at the spot, and police personnel had to intervene to calm the family.
The police took custody of the body and sent it to the district hospital for a post-mortem examination. Investigators have started examining the CCTV footage to identify the assailants.
Milak Khanam station house officer (SHO) Naresh Kumar said the police were searching for the accused. He added that a case would be registered and legal action taken on the basis of the complaint submitted by the family.
{{/usCountry}}Milak Khanam station house officer (SHO) Naresh Kumar said the police were searching for the accused. He added that a case would be registered and legal action taken on the basis of the complaint submitted by the family.
{{/usCountry}}Police are also investigating whether the murder was linked to a dispute over money and land involving the woman Navjot married in court about a year ago. According to local residents, Navjot had married five years ago. A few days after the wedding, his wife died after allegedly consuming poison. Following her death, her family filed a dowry death case against him. He spent some time in jail before returning home.
Later, he reportedly developed a relationship with a 50-year-old widowed female relative from the same village. The woman had two sons who were working in New Zealand. About a year ago, Navjot allegedly eloped with her. The two married in court and then moved into rented accommodation in Rampur.
The woman reportedly had ₹8 lakh in her bank account and owned 2.5 acres of land. Her sons had transferred the money to her account to help her buy a vehicle.
When the sons learnt that their mother had left home with Navjot, they returned to the village and took her into their custody. They also filed a case against him. However, the woman gave a statement in court in favour of Navjot, following which he received relief from the court.
Villagers said the two brothers had visited Tahkala about two months ago. A meeting was held during their visit to resolve the dispute over money and land. However, the matter remained unresolved, and the brothers later left the village.
The brothers’ names began surfacing after Navjot was murdered on Saturday. Police are investigating whether the dispute could have led to a conspiracy to kill him. The brothers are reportedly working in New Zealand, and their possible involvement remains under investigation.
Navjot was the only son of Nishan Singh. He also had a sister who lived in New Zealand. He had no children from his first marriage. The police are examining all possible angles, including the alleged property dispute, while continuing their efforts to identify those who carried out the shooting.