Electrician shot dead by groom over faulty lights

A groom and two friends allegedly shot electrician Barkat Khan during an engagement ceremony over a faulty light in Pataudi; investigation ongoing.

A 26-year-old electrician was allegedly shot dead by a groom and his two friends during an engagement ceremony over a faulty LED light in Pataudi on Thursday night, police said on Friday.

Police identified the deceased as Barkat Khan.

Police identified the deceased as Barkat Khan, originally from Kharot in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, who worked as an electrician for a contractor in Pataudi.

According to police, the contractor had erected tents and fixed lights for the engagement and wedding of the accused, Amandeep, 23, at Ransika on Thursday morning. To look after the lights, Khan stayed with two more associates, Mustafa and Mohammad Yusuf.

Mohammad Hashim, deceased’s father-in-law, quoting the deceased’s associated present at the spot, alleged that the incident happened after 9.27pm when a LED lights stopped working.

“The groom along with his two friends hurled abuses at Khan and his associates after getting annoyed with the defunct light inside the tent and assaulted them,” he alleged in the FIR.

Hashim said the trio left the spot. “Amandeep returned with a pistol and opened fire inside the tent forcing Khan, Mustafa and Yunus to flee the spot,” he alleged in the FIR, accessed by HT, which was registered against the groom and his two friends under sections 103(1) (murder), 3(5) (common intention), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act Pataudi police station on Friday.

Mohammad Saiful, the deceased’s brother-in-law, quoting the associates, said, “The two friends fled in another direction but Khan hid in the nearby bushes. Amandeep followed him and shot Khan, resulting in his death.”

Police said Amandeep and his two friends fled the spot after the incident. The accused’s family members took Khan in a car to a private hospital in Sector 100, about 31kms away from Ransika in Pataudi where the incident took place at 9.27pm. He reached the hospital after more than an hour and was declared dead on arrival.

Khan sustained 30 splinter injuries on his back which caused slow internal abdominal bleeding ultimately resulting in his death, Dr Deepak Mathur, forensic wing incharge of Gurugram Civil Hospital said.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (crime) Rajesh Kumar said that one of the accused, Harsh, 21, a Basai resident was arrested on Friday.

“Harsh told police that his uncle had given him his licensed pistol. He had kept it on a table and accidental firing took place while picking it up in which Khan was shot. Police are verifying to ascertain what happened as his confession is different from the allegations of the family in the FIR,” he said.

Kumar said investigation was still ongoing to ascertain the role of other suspects in the case.

“The deceased’s family alleged that he was shot over a faulty light. The exact motive will be clarified after questioning Harsh and others,” he added.