Four booked for opening fire at 2 houses after altercation in Gurugram’s Sohna

At least 16 people were present in one of the residences on Saturday to mourn the death of an elderly family member when suspects opened fire

Four men were booked for opening fire on two houses of a family in Sohna’s Kherla village on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, police officers aware of the matter said on Sunday. At least 16 people, including guests, were present in one of the residences on Saturday to mourn the death of an elderly family member on September 29, said investigators.

Bullet holes in a window of the house. (HT Photo)

According to the police, two rounds were fired on one house on Friday night, and more than 20 rounds were fired on the adjacent house at 3.30pm on Saturday. Several bullets entered the second house through the windows, but the family members and guests escaped unharmed, said investigators.

The incident was the fallout of an altercation between two suspects and one of the family members, Gaurav Raghav, 21, on Friday, said a police officer associated with the case. Gaurav and his family members are farmers, said investigators.

The two suspects were inebriated, and another family member, Mukesh Raghav, 45, intervened and separated them, saying they would resolve the matter the following day.

However, a few hours later, the two suspects arrived outside Mukesh’s house and fired two rounds at the residence before fleeing the scene. It was not immediately known how many people were inside the house when the suspects opened fire.

According to Gaurav’s brother Sanjay Raghav, 29, they alerted the police control room, and an emergency response vehicle arrived on the scene on Friday night.

“We submitted a written complaint on Saturday morning at Sadar Sohna police station, requesting action against the suspects,” said Sanjay.

However, a few hours after the family submitted the police complaint, four suspects, including the two who had arrived the night before, arrived in front of their house and fired more than 20 rounds indiscriminately, the family members said.

“We shut ourselves inside. After the assailants fled, we came out to find several bullet holes in the walls and window panes. The police found at least 20-21 empty cartridges scattered on the road outside our house,” Sanjay said.

Inspector Santosh Kumar, station house officer of Sadar Sohna police station, said all the suspects were at large. “We are attempting to arrest them,” he said.

Based on Sanjay’s complaint, a first information report was filed against the suspects at Sadar Sohna police station on Saturday night under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 307 (attempt to murder), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and The Arms Act.

According to the police, the suspects, who have been identified, are local residents.