Fight while playing ‘gilli-danda’ leads to second murder in Gzb
GHAZIABAD: An altercation between two men, Vicky and Lalit, while playing ‘gilli-danda’ three years ago, has allegedly led to two murders in Mahal Colony in Ghaziabad’s Loni town since 2015.
The latest took place on Wednesday night, when 22-yearold Vicky was shot dead by a group of armed men outside his house. His father, Devender, sustained a bullet wound to his neck and is critical, while Vicky’s cousin Ankit, 23, was hit by a bullet on his hand.
The rivalry started after Lalit and Vicky fought over a game of Gilli-danda in February 2015. The bitterness between the neighbours took an ugly turn when Vicky allegedly shot dead Lalit’s uncle Naresh, 35, in April 2015. Both Vicky and his father Devender were arrested and released on bail in that case.
On Wednesday night, Devender, 48, an employee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Vicky, his younger brother Deva and cousin Ankit were sitting outside their house when four armed men opened fire at them.
“Three men come on a motorcycle while a fourth came walking. The bike made several rounds of the area before the men got down and fired at us. A bullet pierced Vicky’s head. My uncle (Devender) was shot in the neck and is in the ICU, while Ankit sustained a bullet injury to his hand,” Monu, Devender’s nephew, said.
The family has accused four of their neighbours— brothers Lalit and Amit and their cousins Vikas and Akku — of the attack and murder. Police have filed an FIR of murder and attempt to murder against the four at the Loni police station. The four accused, and their family members, are on the run since Wednesday’s incident, police said.
“I saw four of them firing at my uncle and cousin. One of the bullets hit my hand. Deva escaped as he ran towards the trees and hid himself,” Ankit said.
Mahal Colony near Loni’s Banthala railway crossing has a population of nearly 600 people. The houses of the victims and the accused are located just 100 metres from one another.
“The rivalry between the two families started in April when Naresh was shot dead. Both Vicky and his father Devender had gone to jail in connection with Naresh’s murder and were out on bail,” AK Maurya, superintendent of police (rural), said.
In the FIR lodged on April 10, 2015, Lalit had said Vicky and Devender allegedly arrived with weapons and shot dead his uncle Naresh at a culvert near the Delhi-loni railway line.
“My uncle Devender and Vicky were suspected to be involved in the murder but they had no hand in it. They had come out on bail last year and were attacked by Lalit and his cousins in a planned manner. Before the attack, Lalit had asked his family members to move out of the area,” Monu alleged.
The police have deployed personnel to maintain peace in Mahal Colony. “We are conducting raids and trying to trace the men. The rivalry is suspected to be the reason for Wednesday’s murder,” Vaibhav Krishna, SSP, Ghaziabad, said.