Shooting in Chandigarh’s Sector 20 after road-rage brawl.

Chandigarh: A minor traffic argument in Sector 20 escalated into a late-night shooting on Monday after a man fired a makeshift pistol to free his captured friend from an angry crowd.While no one was injured, police arrested Sector-30 delivery man Jai Kishan on the scene as a suspect and began a hunt for his two alleged associates, Abhijeet and a minor.Investigators say the trio had emerged from a liquor outlet in Sector 30 and turned its scooters towards Sector 20 to refuel when area resident Rajeev and his friend, Sunil, approached them from behind on a motorcycle. When Rajeev honked to request passing space, a heated argument erupted.The confrontation escalated and the motorcyclists allegedly assaulted Kishan’s group before riding away. Seeking retaliation, Kishan and his associates tracked the motorcyclists back to Rajeev’s house in Sector 20A.Around midnight, the trio returned to that house armed with an iron rod and began smashing Rajeev’s parked motorcycle. The commotion drew Rajeev and several neighbours outside, and this crowd then surrounded the vandals and detained Kishan.To free his trapped accomplice, Abhijeet drew a country-made pistol and fired a shot outside a house in Sector 20A, allowing himself and the minor to flee in the ensuing panic. Emergency units and the deputy superintendent of police (East) came over shortly after midnight to secure evidence.During interrogation, Kishan admitted ownership of the firearm, claiming he had purchased it two years ago from an acquaintance in Burail, Sector 45, to protect himself during an unrelated neighbourhood dispute.Police have registered a case of vandalism, illegal weapons possession, and public endangerment.