A 34-year-old property dealer was allegedly shot and attacked with an axe after being chased into a villager’s house in Bilari in Moradabad district on Monday night, police said.
According to police and eyewitnesses, the victim, Ranjeet Chauhan, a resident of Kamalpur Chandaura village, had stepped out for an evening walk around 8:30 pm and reached near a government school when he was suddenly surrounded by four to five armed assailants.
In an attempt to save his life, Chauhan ran nearly 200 metres before entering the house of a local resident, Mukesh Pal. However, he was followed by the attackers, who shot him inside the house. At the time of the incident, Mukesh Pal’s wife Sunita, daughter-in-law Neelu, and young grandchildren were present.
Recounting the sequence of events, Sunita said Chauhan barged into the house in panic, closely followed by armed men who immediately launched a violent assault. The assailants first shot Chauhan, reportedly in the abdomen, and then struck his head with an axe-like weapon, leaving him critically injured.
Police said the attack unfolded in front of the family, whose screams triggered panic in the neighbourhood. Nearby residents, suspecting a robbery, rushed to the house carrying sticks and improvised weapons, locals said. By the time they arrived, the attackers had fled, leaving Chauhan in a pool of blood.
His brother, Pinku Chauhan, rushed him to a community health centre (CHC) in Bilari in an ambulance, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Police teams reached the hospital soon after being alerted and launched a manhunt to track down the accused.
{{/usCountry}}His brother, Pinku Chauhan, rushed him to a community health centre (CHC) in Bilari in an ambulance, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Police teams reached the hospital soon after being alerted and launched a manhunt to track down the accused.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said preliminary investigation points to a dispute with a local man named Ajay, dating back nearly two months. They added that a possible personal relationship angle was also being probed.
Ranjeet Chauhan is survived by his wife Neha, son Daksh, mother Premvati, and brother Pinku. His cousin Bobby Chauhan, who briefed the police, alleged that Ajay and his associates were behind the attack.
Superintendent of police (rural) Kunwar Akash Singh said multiple teams had been deployed to nab the suspects. “Initial findings suggest a dispute possibly linked to personal relations. The accused will be arrested soon,” he said.