Firing outside liquor shop in Sec 9
Two masked men fire 10 rounds before fleeing in car; shop owner’s son-in-law, three workers injured
CHANDIGARH : Two masked men opened fire outside a liquor shop in the posh Sector 9 locality of Chandigarh, leaving four people injured on Tuesday evening.
In all 10 shots were fired before the duo fled. Police suspect financial dispute behind the shooting.
The incident comes just two days after four to five unidentified men drove up to the Sector 33 bungalow of hotelier and businessman Rakesh Singla on Sunday evening, firing 17 shots in what police said was a targeted attack on his younger brother, liquor baron Arvind Singla.
The Tuesday attack took place outside a liquor shop owned by Ram Avtar Batra, 69, in the Sector 9 inner market near the police headquarters. The Sector-21 resident told police he has been running the shop since April 2018 and also owns a petrol pump in Sector 35.
Batra said he suspects “his dispute over a money transaction with some people” led to the shooting, said Chandigarh senior superintendent of police Nilambari Jagdale.
It was around 7:25pm that two men reached the spot in a white Honda Amaze car. After parking it outside a house opposite the market, the duo — one in red and the other in blue T-shirt — walked across the road and started firing at the shop. They later fled.
In all 10 rounds were fired from .22 bore and .32 pistols, said police, who have recovered eight shells from the spot.
One of Batra’s employees, Rajesh, sustained a bullet injury in his right arm while his son-inlaw Ankur Narang received splinter injuries. Two other employees — Madan and Pawan — were also injured by shards of the shattered windowpanes.
Rajesh was rushed to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research while others were taken to Government Multi Specialty Hospital. Their condition is stated to be stable.
Police were in the process of registering a case at the time of filing of this report.