Man, associate held for firing, assaulting brother-in-law in Faridabad

The incident followed the victim’s complaint to the power distribution company (discom) alleging electricity theft at the accused’s residence, officials said on Wednesday.

A 29-year-old man and his associate were arrested by Faridabad Police for allegedly firing at, ramming a car into, and assaulting his brother-in-law in an apparent revenge attack on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway on August 7. The incident followed the victim’s complaint to the power distribution company (discom) alleging electricity theft at the accused’s residence, officials said on Wednesday.

On Pankaj’s complaint, an FIR was registered at Sector 17 police station on August 8.

The accused were identified as Sunny, 29, a resident of Indira Complex in Sector 87, and Rahul Kumar, 25, of Bhoor Colony in Old Faridabad. Police also seized a country-made pistol from Sunny, which they said he had borrowed from his friend Parth Sharma, who, along with three other suspects, remains at large.

The victim, Pankaj Kumar, 32, a gym owner from Thakurwara in Old Faridabad, was returning home around 11pm on August 7 in his Mahindra Thar with friends from Sector 17 when the attack occurred. According to police, Sunny and four associates chased Pankaj in a Harrier, firing at him from the moving car. Pankaj sustained multiple fractures and cut wounds from the crash and assault, police said.

“The bullet missed by inches, and Pankaj survived. He tried to accelerate to outrun them,” said Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer, Faridabad police. Sunny then allegedly rammed the Harrier into the Thar, causing it to flip while the Harrier mounted the divider. The collision disrupted traffic for several minutes, Yadav said.

After the crash, Sunny allegedly attempted to shoot Pankaj again, but the weapon misfired. The suspects then assaulted him before fleeing upon spotting multiple police vehicles approaching.

Police said the attack was linked to a family dispute. “Pankaj’s in-laws were pressuring him to legally separate from his wife, transfer half his property to her name, and pay ₹1 crore alimony,” said a senior police officer. “To teach them a lesson, he complained to the discom about electricity theft at their home, which landed them in trouble. Sunny, his wife’s maternal cousin, planned the attack in retaliation.”

On Pankaj’s complaint, an FIR was registered at Sector 17 police station on August 8 under charges of attempted murder. Raids are ongoing to arrest the other suspects.