24 hours of violence: Chandigarh rocked by murder, firing

Chandigarh: Two rounds of gunfire shattered the dead of night. Hours later, a 21-year-old youth was murdered in broad daylight — all within a span of 24 hours.In a chilling turn of events, Golu, alias Kolis, 21, was chased and stabbed to death in Sector 38 on Friday afternoon. Police suspect the killing was the outcome of an old rivalry.
A resident of Mauli Jagran, Golu had appeared in the Sector 43 district court earlier in the day with his mother, Meena, in connection with a dispute case. According to police sources, the accused were aware of his court appearance and allegedly kept watch on him during the hearing.After court proceedings, Meena left via a different route, while Golu managed to evade the suspects and reached a friend's house in Sector 38. The friend later warned him that the attackers were still looking for him and advised him to leave immediately.As soon as Golu stepped out, two men on a Bullet motorcycle allegedly began tailing him. Police said the assailants were armed with sharp-edged weapons. They first attempted to attack him near the BJP office. Around 3pm, the attackers intercepted him near the slip road in Sector 38, surrounded him, and stabbed him repeatedly before fleeing.Severely injured, Golu collapsed on the road. A passer-by alerted the police, and he was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Teams from the Sector 39 police station, along with forensic experts and senior officers, reached the spot, cordoned off the area, and collected evidence, including blood samples and the victim's two-wheeler.The killing has left the family devastated. Golu was married just 45 days ago, and a post-wedding ritual was scheduled at his residence on Friday night. Preparations were underway when news of his death reached the family.Golu's mother alleged that the accused — Shammi, Gautami, Kishu, Golu, and others — had nursed a grudge against the family for nearly a year. She claimed the same group attacked one of their relatives in Sector 17 last month and was involved in previous incidents in Bapu Dham and Mauli Jagran. Police said a case of murder has been registered and multiple teams have been formed to arrest the accused.Firing incidentsLate on Thursday night, two unidentified men allegedly opened fire outside a chemist shop in Sector 32 before escaping. No injuries were reported. Police reached the area and began examining CCTV footage to identify the assailants. The motive behind the firing was not immediately clear.Police investigations revealed that a personal dispute centred around a woman led to the firing incident at a chemist shop in Sector 32 on Thursday night.According to officials, the attackers were unhappy about an alleged relationship involving one of the shop owners and had issued verbal warnings asking him to stay away from the woman. The firing, police said, followed these threats.The incident took place at around 9.50 pm at Sewak Pharmacy in Sector 32 D. Two unidentified youths reached the spot on a white scooter. Police said one of them entered the shop and fired two bullets at 23-year-old Tanish Luthra, one of the owners, before escaping.None of the bullets hit anyone. Police said one round shattered the glass counter inside the shop, while the other struck the lower section of the counter.In his statement, Tanish told the police that he was inside the shop with a staff member when the firing occurred. He said the assailants issued threats while escaping and added that he would be able to recognise them if they were brought before him.Police said Sewak Pharmacy is jointly run by Tanish Luthra, Dushyant Pundir and Iqbal Singh. During investigation, officers learned that the shooters were allegedly acting out of anger linked to a personal matter involving one of the partners.Police and forensic teams reached the spot soon after the incident and collected physical evidence. CCTV footage from nearby shops and streets is being scrutinised to identify the suspects and track their movement after the firing.In another incident, unidentified assailants opened fire outside the Sector 21 residence of city-based builder Ankit Sadhana late on Thursday night. Police said five to six rounds were fired, and one bullet hit a car parked outside the house. The attackers also allegedly threw around 10 handwritten chits at the spot before fleeing.Sadhana told police he was unaware of the firing during the night, and his staff mistook the sounds heard around 2.30am for firecrackers. Bullet marks were noticed on the main gate and front wall only when he woke up around noon. Police said no empty cartridges had been recovered so far, and CCTV cameras at the residence were not functioning at the time of the incident. A forensic team was called, and footage from nearby areas is being examined.Incidentally, the builder received an extortion call on Friday morning from a caller claiming to be associated with the Bambiha gang, demanding Rs 5 crore and threatening dire consequences.Box: Names mentioned in chitsPolice said some of the handwritten chits recovered from the Sector 21 spot mentioned the names of Mohabbat Randhawa and Pawan Shokeen. Investigators said similar slips have surfaced in several recent firing incidents in Punjab, often outside business establishments.Police sources said the names figure in cases linked to alleged extortion and organised crime and are suspected to be associated with a network connected to the Bambiha gang. However, officials said it is still being probed whether the names indicate direct involvement or are being used by others to intimidate targets.MSID:: 126581972 413 |