Man shoots self to frame landlord in Delhi’s Amar Colony, cops call his bluff

Bhadana ran a paying guest accommodation and had taken the building on lease from its owner, Varun Juneja. However, for the past six months, Bhadana had not been paying rent.

Sumit Bhadana, 22, shot himself twice — in the shoulder and thigh — carefully so that he suffers only a flesh wound to frame his landlord in an attempt to murder case so that he doesn’t have to pay Rs. 2.25 lakh that he owed him. However, the plan did not work out and contrary to his expectations, the police got a whiff of the conspiracy and arrested him.

Sumit Bhadana’s attempt to dupe the police and frame false charges failed. (HT FILE)

Bhadana ran a paying guest accommodation in Amar Colony. He had taken the building on lease from its owner, Varun Juneja. However, for the past six months, Bhadana had not been paying rent.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said around 5pm on Thursday they received a call from the police control room reporting that a man has been shot twice at his house in Amar Colony.

“A police team reached the house and found that the injured man has been taken to Safdarjung hospital for treatment. Two cartridges were found in the room. The police team went to the hospital and met Bhadana. He had two gunshot injuries – in his shoulder and one on thigh. During preliminary inquiry he alleged that his landlord Juneja had fired upon him following a monetary dispute of Rs. 2.25 lakh. A case of attempt to murder was registered to probe the alleged attack and investigation was taken up,” Biswal said.

The DCP said a police team was sent to Juneja’s house to detain him for questioning. However, we found Juneja at his home and he admitted to have visited Bhadana’s house to collect the rent amount, he said.

“Juneja also said that Bhadana had asked him to come back Friday as he did not have the money. Meanwhile, Bhadana, who was undergoing medical examination at Safdarjung hospital, fled when he was being taken for an ultrasound,” the officer said.

“The fact that he fled, the non life-threatening wounds and contradictions in the statement raised suspicion. A search was launched and Bhadana was caught from his sister’s house,” DCP said.

Bhadana told police that he had suffered a loss in the business and could not pay the rent. “He planned to trap Juneja and extort a settlement amount. He also said that a week ago he had gone to Rajasthan and bought a pistol with the help of his brother, Naveen,” police said.

Police raided Naveen’s house in Gurugram and recovered the pistol. Naveen has also been arrested, police said.