Delhi businessman shot dead over parking dispute, neighbour arrested

A businessman was allegedly shot dead in East Delhi’s Preet Vihar after an escalating series of arguments over parking.

A 34-year-old businessman was allegedly shot dead by his brother’s neighbour at upscale neighbourhood in east Delhi’s Preet Vihar in the early hours of Monday after an escalating series of arguments over parking, said police, adding that the neighbour had been arrested. The victim’s brother also suffered injuries to his face after allegedly being assaulted by the neighbour, his two family members, and two friends.

Paras and the accused neighbour live on separate floors of the same building. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Police identified the victim as Pankaj Nayyar, a Noida resident, who had come down to the area after his brother, Paras, 43, told him about the dispute. Pankaj is survived by his wife and a son. They were also expecting another child.

According to police, the issue unfolded over a series of confrontations over Sunday night and early Monday morning. Deputy commissioner of police (east) Rajeev Kumar said that the Preet Vihar police station received two calls from regarding a firing incident and a quarrel— first at 2:22am and the second at 2:26am.

By then, the verbal spat over parking that had started around 9pm on Sunday had turned in a brawl between the brothers on one side and Sharma, accompanied by his minor son, nephew, and friends, on the other.

The accused, identified as Gaurav Sharma, then pulled out a pistol and shot the victim. He, along with his family and friends, then fled the crime scene.

Sharma was arrested from northwest Delhi’s Model Town, nearly 13 hours later. The rest of the individuals who were allegedly involved in the brawl are still absconding, police said.

Paras and his neighbour live on different floors of the same four-storey building and the two families had quarrelled over space in the stilt parking at least twice before in the past couple of months.

The victim’s father, Jeevan Nayyar, 75, confirmed the incident and said, “I can’t believe that Sharma killed my son just over a minor parking dispute. The matter could have been resolved through discussions. I just want justice for my son and harshest possible punishment for all the accused.”

When HT reached out to Sharma’s wife for comment on the incident, she asked for some time to respond, but subsequent calls and messages remained unanswered. 

The issue first began around 9pm on Sunday, Sharma allegedly found the entry into blocked by a Maruti Baleno, which belonged to a friend of Paras.

When Sharma asked for the car to be moved over call, Paras said he was not around. “He asked Sharma to park his BMW at the adjacent building’s stilt parking space allotted to him,” said the DCP.

However, within a few minutes, Sharma called Paras back and asked him to remove the car because he wanted to park his fortuner there. Paras reminded him that he only had one parking assigned to him, but Sharma insisted, resulting in a verbal spat.

When Paras returned home around midnight, the spat resumed in person. This is when he informed his brother, Pankaj, about the issue. But by the time Pankaj arrived, the issue appeared to have been sorted out with the intervention of family members on both sides and neighbours, Sunil Nayyar, a cousin, told HT.

However, the issue erupted again around 1:45 am, when Sharma, who had stepped out, returned home. He asked the brothers to come down and a scuffle began soon after they arrived.

At this time, Sharma pulled out his pistol and shot Pankaj in the chest. “The victim collapsed and was bleeding profusely. Sharma, his minor son, nephew and the two friends fled the crime scene,” added DCP Kumar.

The victim was rushed to a private hospital in Nirman Vihar, where doctors declared him brought dead.

“We registered a case of murder, voluntarily causing hurt, and firing under sections 103 and 15 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at the Preet Vihar police station. Raids were conducted and Sharma was arrested. We are looking for the other accused,” said the DCP.

After his arrest, Sharma was being questioned about the location of the firearm he used and where he obtained it from, said the DCP.

The neighbour’s wife was also questioned for nearly 10 hours by police about the incident, the pistol that was used in it, as well as about Sharma’s location prior to his arrest.

Pankaj Nayyar lived with his wife and six-year-old son at Noida Sector-121, while Paras lives with their parents, his wife, and two children in their second floor flat in Preet Vihar’s A-Block. The family runs a dupatta showroom in Chandni Chowk.

Sharma and his family members live in the first floor as tenants. They had moved into the building three months ago because their own house in Laxmi Nagar is under renovation. Apart from property dealing, Sharma is also into import and export business, the DCP said.