Delhi: One killed in firing outside wedding venue, 3 detained

Delhi Police detained 3 men for the murder of a 24-year-old man outside a south Delhi wedding venue. Two others were injured. The incident happened in Dakshinpuri on Thursday.

A 24-year-old man was killed and his two friends suffered gunshot wounds when two groups of men allegedly clashed with each other outside a wedding venue in south Delhi’s Dakshinpuri late Thursday night.

Shekhar Yadav died on the spot after being shot at in the abdomen. (HT Photo)

The groups that clashed following an argument over a man accidentally grazing his shoulder against another man resorted to firing and stone pelting.

RP Upadyhyay, joint commissioner of police (south), said three persons were detained in connection with the murder, firing and stone pelting incident.

A case in connection with the crime was registered at the Ambedkar Nagar police station.

“We have identified some of the attackers. Rangeela, Ashish and their associate are in our custody. Rangeela was previously involved in a criminal case. We are questioning them to identify others who were involved in the clash. Arrests will follow soon,” said Upadhyay.

As many as half-a-dozen bullets were fired allegedly by the group using countrymade weapons. A man from the other group died on the spot after he was shot at in the abdomen. The deceased was identified as Shekhar Yadav. Two others — Harmeet alias Montu and Vikas alias Vicky — were hit in their chest and leg, respectively. They were admitted to a nearby hospital. Vicky has been discharged after preliminary medical attention.

Police said Montu was previously involved in an attempt to murder case. They said some men from both the groups were injured in the stone pelting. One of the bullets pierced through the iron shutter of a mobile shop. The board of another mobile shop was damaged in the stone pelting.

The board of a mobile shop was damaged in the stone pelting. (HT Photo)

Yadav, who worked at a private finance office in Okhla, is survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister. His family members told HT that on Thursday evening, he along with his friends had gone to attend their neighbour’s wedding.

“Around midnight, they were returning home when some people opened fire outside another wedding venue in D-block. We don’t know who the attackers were and why did they fire on our boys. We suspect our boys became victims of a celebratory firing,” said Sunil Kumar, Yadav’s uncle.

The police, however, denied that there was any celebratory firing in the area. A senior police officer said that at the wedding venue where the victims were present, one of them entered into an argument after another man from a different group grazed his shoulder against his body.

One of the bullets pierced through the iron shutter of a mobile shop. (HT Photo)

The group led by Montu thrashed the other group members. The rival group informed his friends about the fight over mobile and asked them to reach the venue. As the rival group got stronger with additional strength, Montu’s group hid themselves at another wedding. Their opponents, however, decided to wait outside and leave only after taking revenge of the beating.

Around midnight, as Montu and his friends left for their homes, the rival group opened fire at them. They also pelted stones at each other. “We are examining CCTV camera footage of the locality to establish the sequence of events and identify the absconding attackers,” the officer said.