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Retired colonel’s son shot dead in Dehradun: Police
Sharma was approaching his car parked near the market after playing tennis at the Parade Ground when assailants shot him -- around 1km from the state police headquarters
A 40-year-old man, son of a retired colonel, was allegedly shot dead outside the popular Tibetan Market in Dehradun on Wednesday, police said.
Four murders have been reported in Dehradun over the past fortnight. On January 29, an 18-year-old woman was killed in the Vikasnagar area, followed by the murder of a woman in Rishikesh on January 31. On February 2, a 23-year-old woman was hacked to death in Paltan Bazaar.
The deceased, identified as Arjun Sharma, a resident of Indira Nagar, was the owner of a private gas agency on GMS Road.
Sharma was approaching his car parked near the market after playing tennis at the Parade Ground when assailants shot him -- around 1km from the state police headquarters.
Superintendent of police (city) Pramod Kumar said, “At around 10:30am, Dalanwala police station received information that an unknown person shot a man near the Tibetan Market.
Our personnel from the Dalanwala police station arrived at the scene and the injured was taken to Doon Hospital for treatment, where doctors declared him dead.”
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“It came to light that the deceased had a family dispute regarding the family business. Owing to the dispute, his mother had sought protection from the High Court, citing threat to her life from her son (deceased). A constable was deployed in her security for nearly a year,” the SP said.
Kumar said the incident was carried out by two individuals riding a scooter.
“On the instructions of the Dehradun SSP (Ajai Singh), separate teams have been formed to arrest the accused, and intensive checking is being conducted throughout the district,” he said.
Inspector general of police (Garhwal range) Rajeev Swaroop said he has instructed the concerned police officials to solve the case at the earliest.
Responding to allegations of “deteriorating” law and order situation, he said, “I have issued strict instructions to strengthen policing and ensure enhanced police presence and patrolling.”
He added that accountability would be fixed at the circle officer level if such incidents occur within their jurisdiction.
The opposition Congress said the broad daylight murder in Dehradun underlined their allegations that law and order has collapsed in the state.
Suryakant Dhasmana, vice president of the state Congress, said, “Law and order in Uttarakhand has completely collapsed, and criminals have completely lost their fear of the police. The murder near the Tibetan Market has proved that our allegations of lawlessness in the state are true.”
“The recent murders of three young women in Dehradun and the death of two people in a shooting during an event organised on Ravidas Jayanti in Haridwar have put Uttarakhand on par with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in terms of crime rate,” he said.
“The Dhami government in the state is busy applauding anarchists who spread hatred and engage in divisive activities, while the police are preoccupied with resolving land disputes. Criminals are taking advantage of these circumstances to commit crimes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state Congress has announced to stage a protest march to the Raj Bhawan in Dehradun on February 16 over the “deteriorating” law and order in the state and other pressing issues in the state.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the government is committed to the safety of every citizen and has a zero-tolerance policy against criminal activities.
State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP said, “The Opposition should refrain from politicising these incidents. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued strict instructions on maintaining law and order, and no one responsible will be spared.”
“Everyone knows that the Dhami government takes immediate, impartial and strict action against criminals. No one can cite a single instance during our government’s tenure where action was not taken or arrests were not made against the accused. It is inappropriate to view such incidents through a political lens or attempt to derive political gains from them,” Bhatt said.
