Businessman shot dead in Azadpur

NEW DELHI: A 45-year-old factory owner was shot dead, allegedly by three men riding a scooter, in the presence of his two friends at Azadpur industrial area in northwest Delhi on Monday night.

Police suspect it a case of personal enmity and ruled the possibility of a “robbery going wrong”, saying the assailants made no attempt to rob the businessman. All his belongings, including cash and mobile phone, were intact. One of the suspects was wearing a helmet while the other two had their faces muffled, said police.

The crime took place outside the office of one of the two friends of the businessman.

Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Aslam Khan said the businessman, Rajesh Gupta, ran a modular kitchen manufacturing factory in Haryana’s Sonepat in partnership with his friends. He lived with his wife and a 10-year-old daughter in West Delhi’s Paschim Vihar.

Gupta met his friends daily at their office in Azadpur industrial area in the evening, said Khan.

On Monday, around 6 pm, Gupta met his two friends – Deepak Gupta and Dinesh Jain – at their office. Around 8 pm, the two friends were accompanying Gupta towards his car when three men arrived on a scooter and fired a bullet at him. “The bullet hit Gupta’s stomach and he collapsed. By the time his friends could react, the attackers fled,” said a police officer.

Gupta was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. A case of murder was registered at the Mahendra Park police station. Police have found a CCTV camera installed in the neighbourhood in which the suspects were seen. “The footage is being analysed,” the officer added.