Commission agent gunned down in Ludhiana
Killed with pointblank shot by man who came to his shop in vegetable market
A scooter-borne assailant gunned down a commission agent (arhtiya) in broad daylight at the vegetable market here on Thursday afternoon. Such was his impunity that after shooting Gharjeet Singh Chaudhary, 52, of Salem Tabri, the assailant, who remains unidentified, dared people to confront or chase him, and then rode away on his scooter.
LUDHIANA: A scooter-borne assailant gunned down a commission agent (arhtiya) in broad daylight at the vegetable market here on Thursday afternoon. Such was his impunity that after shooting Gharjeet Singh Chaudhary, 52, of Salem Tabri, the assailant, who remains unidentified, dared people to confront or chase him, and then rode away on his scooter.
Chaudhary was rushed to Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where he died. Police registered a case of murder against the assailant and a man named Gaurav Kumar who allegedly hired the killer to settle an enmity.
Since the incident was captured on security cameras installed in the area, police are banking on the footage that also shows the man came to Chaudhary’s shop thrice before recently. Police commissioner Sukchain Singh Gill and additional deputy commissioner of police (city-1) Gurpreet Singh Walia reached the spot for investigation. The bullet shell of a .32-bore pistol used in the crime has been found.
Police said the killer arrived at Chaudhary’s shop on a scooter in the rain and called him out. When Chaudhary approached him, he flashed the pistol, said something, and shot him from point-blank range in the chest. People in the area, who did not want to be identified, said the killer proclaimed that “you cannot do me any arm” before firing the shot.
Chaudhary’s son, Gaurav Chaudhary, said accused Kumar lives near their house had a year ago taken him to Phillaur and snatched cash from him. He filed a case against Kumar, who came out on bail four months ago and was threatening the family since. He said his father (Gharjeet) had recently gone to Phillaur to urge the police to file a chargesheet soon in the case, “which angered Kumar”.
Inspector Birbal Singh, station house officer of Basti Jodhewal under whose jurisdiction the market falls, said, “We have registered the case on the statement of the victim’s son, and have launched a manhunt.” Since the assailant fired one bullet precisely to the heart of the victim, police suspect involvement of a contract killer.
Chaudhary was originally from Jammu and was living in Ludhiana for the past 30 years, and had formed a social organisation called Jammu Foundation here.
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER BOOKED ALONG WITH A MAN NAMED GAURAV KUMAR WHO ALLEGEDLY HIRED HIM TO SETTLE A FESTERING ENMITY