Delhi: Scooterists ram man’s car, shoot him dead

NEW DELHI: Less than 24 hours after a motorcyclist was shot dead when he brushed against a car in Mayur Vihar, a 35-year-old man died after being shot in a similar incident in east Delhi’s Geeta Colony late on Monday night.

Sushil Chauhan, who had a garment business, was shot in his thigh when he confronted two youths on a scooter after it rammed his car at 11.30 pm. An injured Chauhan tried chasing the scooterists, but they fled. He was then driving to hospital when he got a flat tyre. His brother-in-law and a friend, who were in the car, were then taking him to hospital in an autorickshaw, when he collapsed on the way.

Fight started over rash driving ‘taunt’

By the time they reached the JPN hospital, Chauhan had already died because of excessive blood loss, doctors said.

According to Chauhan’s brother-in-law Annu, the bumper of the car was damaged after the scooter hit it. Chauhan stepped out of his car — they were returning from an eatery in Krishna Nagar — and asked the scooterists why they were driving rashly and whether they planned to get themselves killed in an accident. One of the youths retorted that he was, in fact, planning to kill Chauhan instead and immediately opened fire, hitting him in his thigh. It all happened within a few seconds, Annu told cops, after which the two youths fled on the scooter. Annu and Kartik informed a PCR team parked near the Rajghat about the incident, following which police, too, reached the hospital. Annu informed Chauhan’s family before his body was sent for autopsy. Sushil, his kin say, was a tailor and was looking after his family business set up by his father. He had a wife and a 10-year-old daughter.

“We have some CCTV footages from the area which are being analysed to identify the killers. We suspect them to be locals from the colonies nearby. Police teams have been formed to track them down,” said DCP (Shahdara) Meghna Yadav. A probe revealed the criminals had used a 7.62mm weapon and had shot Sushil from close range. A case of murder has been registered at the Geeta Colony police station.

Kin allege murder, say road rage was staged

Family members of Sushil Chauhan, who was shot dead in a road rage incident on Monday, have alleged that the incident was staged and have accused two of his friends who were travelling with him of hatching the plan to murder him. Chauhan had allegedly fought with his friend Kartik two days before the incident.

The victim’s cousin, Manoj, alleged that Chauhan got into an argument with Kartik on Saturday evening over their friend Renu. Kartik accused him of getting too close to her. Renu was also present in the car when he got shot. Family members said Chauhan had been financially supporting Renu after her parents died a few years ago. She stayed in the same neighbourhood in Brahmpuri.

“On Monday Sushil left home saying that he would be attending a wedding in Loni. However, he went to Roop Nagar in north Delhi along with his brother-in-law Annu and Kartik after getting a call from Renu. They then went for dinner at Krishna Nagar without informing the family. We suspect foul play into the incident since all their phones were switched off,” said Manoj.

The family also suspect Annu, who owns the WagonR car in which they were travelling, to be involved in the alleged murder. “The sequence of events suggests that the killer was tipped off by someone about the route being taken by Chauhan from Krishna Nagar so that the road rage incident could be staged,” Manoj said.

Chauhan, who was married for 12 years, had met his wife while visiting a relative’s house in Gokulpuri. They got married in a temple without informing their family members. Chauhan was the eldest among four siblings. His younger brother helped him in the business, while the youngest brother is in college. “He was the sole breadwinner of the family. His wife is yet to come to terms with the loss,” said a family member.