Man shot dead by 2 bike-borne assailants outside Sonepat court
Was key witness to murder of his wife, who was victim of an alleged hate crime
ROHTAK: A 43-year-old man, who was a key witness in his wife’s murder case, was allegedly shot dead by two bike-borne assailants at a district complex in Sonepat in broad daylight on Friday. The incident took place near lawyers’ chamber number 207. The deceased has been identified as Ved Prakash, of Mukimpur village in Sonepat’s Rai. As per police, the incident took place before Prakash had to appear as key witness in his wife Kanika’s murder case at a local court in Sonepat.
Two bike-borne assailants intercepted him at the court complex and shot him before fleeing the spot.
A spokesman of the Sonepat police said Prakash had married his friend and neighbour’s 18-year-old daughter Kanika at an Arya Samaj temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut in November 2020. On July 6 last year, Vijaypal had invited his daughter Kanika to celebrate her birthday the next day. Prakash had left his wife outside Rai police station from where his father-in-law took her in a car to Rohtak.
When he tried to contact Kanika, her phone was unreachable. Then, Ved Prakash lodged a complaint and Rai police questioned Vijaypal who admitted that he strangulated his daughter to death near Kheri Damkan village in district and threw her body in a canal near Meerut.
During interrogation, Vijaypal’s brother Virender’s (of Rithal village) name also came to fore for helping him in Kanika’s murder. Both of them are currently lodged in Sonepat jail for Kanika’s murder.
“Today, Ved Prakash had to appear in court as a witness in his wife’s murder case,” a spokesman said.
As per senior police officials, Kanika and Prakash belong to the same village and same gotra.
“Kanika’s father Vijaypal was against the marriage. After her marriage, Vijaypal called her home and shifted from their native village in Sonepat to Rohtak.
In June last year, she had fled from home with Ved Prakash. Then, her father had called her to celebrate her birthday with the intention to kill her for ‘honour’,” senior police officials investigating the case added.
Sonepat additional superintendent of police Nikita Khattar said the bike-borne assailants shot dead Ved Prakash, who was going to attend a hearing in his wife’s murder case at the court complex. “His body was handed over to his family after conducting autopsy at Bhagal Phool Singh Medical College at Khanpur Kalan. Three teams have been formed to investigate the case,” the additional SP added.
Inspector Wazir Singh, of Sonepat City police station, said they have registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other sections, besides booking them under Section 25 of the Arms Act against Kanika’s father Vijaypal, his relative Virender and two unidentified assailants on a complaint filed by Ved Prakash’s brother.“we will take Vijaypal and Virender on production warrant to crack the case,” he added. A senior police official said they are trying to ascertain if Prakash’s murder is linked to his wife’s killing. The lawyers protested the killing and urged the police to ensure security at the district court complex.