Mom, 2 shooters among 5 held in Doon trader killing case

Dehradun: Five people were arrested a day after a 42-year-old man was shot dead in full public view near the Tibetan Market here, police said on Thursday. Those arrested include the mother of the deceased and two shooters.The two shooters were arrested after a brief encounter in Raipur area early on Thursday, while three others were picked up later based on information obtained during questioning, officials said.SSP Ajai Singh said both the shooters -- Rajiv Singh (50) and Pankaj Rana (52) -- are residents of Dehradun. The other accused include the victim's mother, Beena Sharma, Vinod Uniyal and Dr Ajay Khanna.According to the SSP, the shooters were intercepted at a police checkpoint following a tip-off but fled into a forested area. When police teams surrounded them, they opened fire using country-made weapons. Police retaliated, injuring both men in the legs before arresting them."During questioning at the hospital, where they are undergoing treatment as per legal provisions, the two confessed to firing at Arjun Sharma, which led to his death," Singh said.Police said the shooters also named the other three accused as part of the conspiracy. All three had earlier been named as suspects in a complaint lodged by the victim's wife, Abhilasha Sharma.Investigators said the murder was allegedly triggered by a property dispute involving assets worth Rs 14 crore. The accused had allegedly struck a deal for the family property without Sharma's consent. After he approached a court and secured a stay on the transaction, they allegedly conspired to kill him.Police said efforts are on to trace another accused, Sangeeta Uniyal, who remains absconding.