Bhajanpura: Auto driver killed after duo opens fire at man, but misses target

New Delhi: Police have arrested two people for allegedly “missing their target” and killing an auto driver (32), outside a meat shop at North Ghonda near Bhajanpura in northeast Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, said officials on Thursday

New Delhi: Police have arrested two people for allegedly “missing their target” and killing an auto driver (32), outside a meat shop at North Ghonda near Bhajanpura in northeast Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, said officials on Thursday.

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The main suspect — identified as Sahil (goes by first name) alias Amir (28) — often got into fights with one Aman (26) while exercising at a gym in their neighbourhood in North Ghonda. An “enraged” Aman thus planned to kill Aman with the help of his cousin Saif Ali alias Shibu (26), who is a resident of Ghaziabad, and had been involved in an attempt to murder and two robbery cases earlier, said police.

“On Tuesday, Sahil asked Aman to meet him in Subhash Mohalla to ‘come to a common ground and settle their differences’. On Aman’s arrival, Sahil started an argument with him, and hinted his cousin Ali — who was hiding nearby with a loaded countrymade pistol — to open fire at the former. Ali shot at Aman, but it missed him and hit an auto driver identified as Shahzad Alam, following which the suspects escaped... There was no CCTV camera installed at the crime spot,” said Sanjay Kumar Sain, deputy commissioner of police (northeast).

The injured auto driver, who was a resident of Chand Bagh near Karawal Nagar, was taken to Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, where the doctors declared him dead, according to police.

An FIR was registered against the suspects under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Bhajanpura police on Tuesday, and police teams were formed to investigate the case, said officials.

“It was quite challenging to crack the case as the motive behind the murder was not clear. Also, preliminary investigation did not suggest that there was any enmity between the auto driver and the suspects,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

Police collected information and scanned CCTV footage from cameras installed near the crime spot, and traced the suspects. Both the suspects were arrested from near the Loni-Delhi border around 3am on Thursday, said police, adding that the duo confessed to the crime during interrogation.

We have also recovered the gun used in the crime, said DCP Sain, adding that further action will be taken accordingly.