Gangster and aspiring medical student killed in firing incident after Panchkula birthday party

JIND: After a birthday party in Haryana's Panchkula, a girl from Uchana Kalan of Jind was killed along with gangster Vicky in a firing incident outside a hotel was cremated at her native place on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Vandana, also known as Nia, aspired to study medicine abroad. For the past year, she had been taking IELTS coaching in sector 22 of Chandigarh.

Earlier, Vandana had also taken coaching for the NEET exam in Kota, Rajasthan, and Hisar to secure admission in an MBBS program. However, when she couldn't succeed in NEET, she planned to pursue medical studies abroad.

Her father, Rajesh, is a government school teacher. Vandana had a 15-year-old younger brother who studies in a private school in Uchana Kalan. The family, unaware of how Vandana, also known as Nia, reached Panchkula refused to have any connection with the gangster. Her last rites were performed on Tuesday where her father also refused to share more details about the incident.

It is to pertinent to mention that in a complaint, Ashish, a resident of House No. 150, AKS-1 Colony, Singh Sabha Gurudwara of Zirakpur, stated that on the evening of December 22, 2024, his friend Rohit Bhardwaj, son of Anil Kumar, a resident of Zirakpur in Punjab, was celebrating his birthday.

Rohit Bhardwaj invited Ashish and other friends to Panchkula's Bella Vista, Sector 5, for his birthday party. They all reached Bella Vista, Sector 5, Panchkula, in their respective cars, but the venue was later changed to Sultanat Hotel, Burj Kotian Panchkula. Ashish's car carried Sahil, Natasha, and Kashi.

Around 10:30 PM, they all arrived at the location. The birthday party continued until around 2:30 AM. After the party ended, they were all leaving when Vinay, alias Vicky, son of Vijendra Singh, a resident of Mitraiyu village comes under Baba Haridas Police Station in Najafgarh of Delhi along with his nephew Teerth, Vandana alias Nia, daughter of Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Uchana Kalan, ( 22), got into a Scorpio vehicle.

As Vinay alias Vicky, Teerth, and Vandana alias Nia were getting into the car, at around 2:40 AM, indiscriminate firing began on the vehicle. Teerth was heading to the passenger seat when he saw the firing. He tried to protect his uncle by moving forward, but the attackers fired at him too.

Vinay alias Vicky, Teerth, and Nia were shot during the attack. The assailants fled the scene with their vehicle after firing shots into the air. The young men who had attended the party rushed all three to Civil Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, where doctors declared them dead. Vinay received 10 bullet wounds, Teerth four, and Nia one, said sources.