Man shot dead by five gunmen in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: In a possible case of mistaken identity, an employee of a hardware shop at the city's busy Kumarpara area was shot dead by five unidentified gunmen on Thursday evening. The man identified as Shyam Sharma was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday evening.
Police sources said the gang entered Sharma's office on the first floor of the building located in the area posing as customers. The gang members reportedly told one of the employees of the shop that they had come looking for Sharma to make some pending payments. The city police, who have begun investigating the case, suspect that the shooters were "contract killers".
Incidentally, the owner of the shop and the victim share the same name, police said.
Ram Avatar Sharma, the nephew of the victim, told TOI, "The incident happened around 5.30 PM when a group of five reached Sharma's office and enquired about who is Shyam Sharma. When my uncle replied that he is the one they are looking for, one of them took out a gun and shot him."
The bullet hit the victim's neck. The gang allegedly fled the spot after threatening other employees not to call the cops.
"Surprisingly, the owner of the shop and the victim shared the same name. Prima facie investigation revealed that the group did not know the victim and was enquiring about Shyam Sharma. When the victim had identified himself, they shot him. It might be a case of mistaken identity too," sources in Bharalu Police said.
Police have seized a bag from the spot which was believed to be left by the gang. Dog squad and forensic teams were collecting possible evidence while filing the report.
Debaraj Upadhaya, joint Commissioner of police, Guwahati, said, "It is suspected that the killers were hired. The investigation is on." Eyewitnesses added that the group of killers was not even hiding their faces.