Wedding shooting: Victim’s kin get police protection, cops raid 4 locations

Police teams have been sent to Hapur, Ghaziabad, Delhi and Baghpat, to carry out searches at possible hideouts of the suspect and his family members. Some people have been detained for questioning to trace the suspects

The family of Sector 51 Block H residents’ welfare association president Ashok Yadav, who was shot dead allegedly by his son’s father-in-law at a wedding ceremony being held at a farmhouse in Greater Noida West on Monday night, said they fear for their safety in the aftermath of the murder.

Police said while the family has made no formal request in writing, local police have deployed two personnel outside deployed outside the Yadav residence in Sector 51, in light of the incident and to maintain law and order in the area. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Noida police said it has deployed two constables at their residence in Sector 51, said senior officers, adding that police teams have been deployed to nab the murder suspect who fled the wedding venue after allegedly shooting 55-year-old Ashok dead.

The deceased attending his friend’s daughter’s wedding at the farmhouse, when he was shot allegedly by Shekhar Yadav, who is his son’s father in-law, police said.

The Greater Noida police have registered an FIR under charges of murder, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against Shekhar Yadav, and seven other identified family members and five-six others, on the basis of a complaint filed by the Ashok’s son Bhupendra Yadav.

Bhupendra attended the wedding with his father and said he saw Shekhar shoot his father.

“My father and I were in the buffet area when Shekhar approached us along with at least 10 other men. He made some comments to my father after which an altercation broke out between the two. Shekhar’s family members had surrounded me when I heard a gunshot. I saw my father fall to the ground and then Shekhar shot him again in the face and fled the spot, in the commotion that ensued,” he said.

Yadav used to live with his wife and two sons, both of whom were married, while his daughter is married and living with her husband.

“If the culprit can shoot my father in front of hundreds of people at a wedding, it is certain that he is not afraid of anything. The whole family is in fear. Police have deployed security at our home,” said Bhupendra, who runs a construction business in Noida.

Saurabh Srivastava, assistant commissioner of police, Noida-3, while the family has made no request in writing, local police have deployed two personnel outside their home.

“Two constables, one man and one woman, have been deployed outside the Yadav residence in Sector 51, in light of the incident and to maintain law and order in the area,” he said.

Suniti, deputy commissioner of police, Central Noida, said police teams were sent to four locations to nab Shekhar and his family members.

“The main suspect Shekhar is a resident of Sanjay Nagar, Ghaziabad, and a native of Simbhaoli, Hapur. Police teams have been sent to Hapur, Ghaziabad, Delhi and Baghpat, to carry out searches at possible hideouts of the suspect and his family members. Some people have been detained for questioning to trace the suspects,” said the DCP.

She added that the footage from a drone camera that was recording the wedding is being scanned by investigators.

“The spot where the shooting happened was not covered by any of the CCTV cameras in the farmhouse. We are scanning footage from the videographer of the wedding, including that from a drone camera that was being used by their team for covering event,” said the officer