Neighbour’s kin held for shooting at scribe

GHAZIABAD: The son and brother of a neighbour accused of plotting to shoot dead TV journalist Anuj Chaudhary on April 8 were among five persons arrested on Monday in connection with the case.
Ghaziabad police had formed four teams to nab the family members of Shekhar Chaudhury, Anuj’s neighbour who is accused of orchestrating the attack on him over personal enmity. Shekhar, aged around 50 years, is lodged in Dasna jail since August 2016 for his involvement in the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia using AK-47s.

Anuj was hit by three bullets sprayed by bike-borne assailants near his home and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Shekhar’s son Vishal and brother Bobby were arrested on Monday morning along with Yogendra and Vikash, all of whom were named in the FIR. Based on information from them after hours of sustained questioning, the police formed teams and arrested Rohit Yadav, a sharpshooter who had allegedly fired at Anuj, after a gunfight late in the evening.

Apart from Shekhar, eight members of his family have been named in the FIR registered in Kavi Nagar police station on April 9. “Rohit had come in contact with Shekhar when he was lodged in Dasna jail in connection with a murder. Before he was released last year, Rohit had been promised Rs 7 lakh for killing Anuj. Shekhar had even paid him Rs 5 lakh as advance through Vishal and Tunda,” said Vaibhav Krishna, the Ghaziabad SSP.

“Rohit and his accomplice, who were on a bike, had shot at Anuj on the evening of April 8. They had also robbed the journalist’s licenced revolver during the attack. They had conducted a recce on April 7 but could not attack Anuj because he had a guard with him,” Krishna added.

Vishal has reportedly told the police during questioning he had given Rohit a .32 bore pistol, which he had purchased from Meerut for Rs 26,000, and 15 live cartridges to kill Anuj. Rohit and his accomplice had abandoned the motorbike in which they had come near Diamond Palace flyover and fled to Delhi after the attack.

“The enmity between the families of Anuj and Shekhar began in 1992-93 with the alleged murder of the former’s elder brother Sensar Pal alias Musa. During the run-up to the urban local body polls, Anuj had threatened Tunda with his licenced revolver. This seems to be one of the triggers for the attack apart from the fact that Shekhar had been nursing a grievance against Anuj who he thought was instrumental in his arrest in connection with the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia,” said Krishna.

Shekhar’s daughter-in-law Seema had contested the municipal polls from Razapur as an Independent candidate against Anuj’s wife Nisha last year but had lost. Nisha had been fielded by the BSP. Shekhar has 16 criminal cases registered against him in Kavi Nagar police station, including those pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, rioting and under provisions of the Arms Act.

In 1992, Shekhar had shot dead his uncle, Prithvi, on the suspicion that he was trying to derail a land purchase deal he had finalised with one Kripal Singh of Razapur. Shekhar was also allegedly involved in the murder of Anuj’s elder brother Sensar Pal, who was extremely close to Prithvi’s family, later that year.