Gunmen spray Jhansi businessman’s SUV with bullets; one dead, 3 injured

Unidentified gunmen, wearing masks, opened indiscriminate fire at an SUV carrying controversial businessman Sanjay Verma and his aides in Jhansi, about 230 km from here, on Saturday.

One of Sanjay’s aides, Jai Goswami, was killed in the attack while the businessman and two others escaped with injuries and were admitted to the Jhansi Medical College.

The three gunmen came on two motorcycles and began firing at Verma’s vehicle from a close range, eye witnesses told police. The vehicle went out of control and rammed into a stationary truck, they added.

Police said more than 15 shots were fired at the SUV in which Verma and his aides were travelling from a local court.

SSP Jhansi Vinod Kumar Singh said semi-automatic weapons were used in the attack and the police were probing the case. Verma has a long criminal history with eight cases, including three related to murder, being registered against his name. He had been named as an accused in the in 2015 murder of one Priya Budhauliya, who police said was killed over property dispute.