2 dead as miscreants open fire in mall

VARANASI: Two persons were shot dead and two others were critically injured when three unidentified assailants opened indiscriminate fire at JHV Mall, under the Cantonment police station area of Varanasi, on Wednesday evening, police said.

Police said that according to some shopkeepers, the assailants were there to settle scores with an employee of sports goods/apparel showroom, while other shopkeepers said that the assailants opened indiscriminate fire after an argument with a salesman. The police are investigating both angles.

According to the police, three youths entered the mall and went to the sports goods showroom. Two youths went out of the showroom but the third stayed inside. The youth whipped out a country-made firearm and asked employees about Prashant Mishra, an employee of the showroom. The assailant allegedly had a fight with Prashant few days back.

Police said that the employees of showroom caught hold of the youth and snatched his pistol. His accomplices, standing outside, barged into the showroom and opened indiscriminate fire to free their accomplice, who has been identified as Alok.

In the firing, Gopi (26), helper at Yuvican showroom, and Sunil (46), tailor at Levi’s showroom, suffered bullet injuries to the chest and head respectively, while Chandan Sharma (31), employee at Timex showroom and Vishal Singh (28), employee at Being Human, suffered bullet injuries below the waist and left thigh respectively.

Shopkeepers told the police that after the incident, the assailants fled the scene brandishing their weapons.

All four injured, Gopi, Sunil, Vishal and Chandan were rushed to a private hospital in Maldahiya from where doctors referred them to the trauma centre, BHU where doctors declared Gopi and Sunil brought dead.