Haryana Congress leader Vikas Chaudhary shot dead in Faridabad

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, June 27

A spokesperson for the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), Vikas Chaudhary, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in broad daylight here this morning.

Chaudhary, 42, succumbed to his injuries before being taken to hospital. He was considered close to HPCC president Ashok Tanwar and was a leading ticket aspirant from the Faridabad Assembly segment. Chaudhary is survived by his parents, wife and two minor daughters, besides his younger brother.

The attack took place when Chaudhary, a resident of Sector 9, arrived at a gym 500 metres from his house around 9 am. Chaudhary was about to step out of his Maruti SX4 car when three youths came out of a Toyota Fortuner and opened fire at him.

The victim fell on the ground and the assailants pumped a dozen bullets into his chest, abdomen and neck before fleeing in the waiting car. The grievously injured Chaudhary was taken to a Sector 8 hospital, where the doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.

The incident was captured in a nearby CCTV camera. The police have collected the footage. As many as 15 bullet casings were recovered from the scene. In the footage, the building guard present in the guard box is seen moving inside the premises as soon as the assailants stepped out of their vehicle.

While the motive is unclear, police sources said it could be the result of old enmity.

Haryana ADGP Navdeep Singh Virk said since Chaudhary had a criminal background, the murder seemed to be connected to it. Chaudhary faced several FIRs of extortion, kidnapping and attempt to murder since 2007.

Contract killing had also not been ruled out since Chaudhary was a financier, said a police official. DCP (crime) Rajesh Kumar said the police were working on all angles. He said five teams had been constituted to arrest the suspects.

Chaudhary had joined the Congress in 2016 and was appointed as spokesperson in 2018. He had earlier been associated with the INLD.

Kin and party workers staged a four-hour dharna outside the hospital seeking arrest of culprits. The dharna was lifted around 5.30 pm after Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar assured them of a speedy probe.

Victim’s father Ramchander earlier refused to take the body for cremation till the culprits were arrested.

HPCC president Tanwar said it was the result of gross failure of the law and order machinery in the state. He said the BJP government had no right to stay in power as ‘jungle raj’ prevailed in the state. AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala condemned the killing saying the state had become a haven for criminals and organised crime.

AAP district president Harinder Bhati demanded transfer of the police chief.

This is the third killing in the district in the past six days. While a youth was shot in Mujheri village on June 22, unidentified assailants shot a manager of a private company on June 26. 

‘Shameful, tragic’

Chaudhary’s killing is condemnable, shameful and tragic. It reflects the deteriorating law and order in Haryana. — Rahul Gandhi, Cong chief