Gangster, 2 aides shot near Panchkula resort

A gangster, his 17-year-old nephew and a 22-year-old girl were shot dead by unidentified assailants outside a resort on the Morni road in Panchkula during the wee hours of Monday. Another girl accompanying the three escaped unhurt.

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Police sources said they suspected an inter-gang rivalry behind the incident.

The deceased gangster, Vinit Gahlot, alias Vicky, a resident of Mitrau village, near Najafgarh, Delhi, had cases of murder, dacoity and Arms Act registered against him in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Uttar Pradesh. He was associated with the Manjeet Mahal gang active in Delhi NCR, sources in the police said.

According to the FIR registered at the Pinjore police station, around three assailants opened fire at him and his group when they were about to get into their car after attending a birthday party at the resort.

The other two deceased have been identified as Tirath, a resident of Najafgarh in Delhi; and Vandana, alias Nia, a resident of Uchana Kalan village in Jind.

According to the sources, around 15 shots were fired, killing the three on the spot. The FIR filed on a complaint by Ashish, a resident of Zirakpur, further stated that the group of friends first went to a hotel in Sector 5 in separate cars to celebrate the birthday of their friend Rohit Bhardwaj, a resident of Zirakpur. The venue, however, was changed to Sultanate resort in Burjkotia, Morni-Thapli Road of Panchkula.

“We reached there around 10.30 pm and the party went on till 2.30 pm. After the celebration, we all came out. Vicky, Vandana and Tirath were about to step into their Mahindra Scorpio when two or three unidentified persons arrived there in a car and fired indiscriminately at them. Vicky’s nephew Tirath sustained bullet injuries while trying to save his uncle,” the complainant said.

The accused fled the scene right after firing the incident. The victims were taken to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, where they were declared dead on arrival. Upon receiving information, police officials, including DCP Himadri Kaushik, DCP Crime Mukesh Kumar, ACP Crime Arvind Kamboj, reached the spot.

The police have registered a case under Sections 103 (1) and 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 25 of the Arms Act.

“As many as eight special teams have been constituted by the district police to investigate the case and CCTV footages are being scanned to nab the accused,” a police spokesperson said.

The incident raises concern over late-night parties going on unchecked in the district. Bars and clubs are not allowed to stay open after

12 midnight.

vinit faced murder, dacoity cases

The Panchkula police have confirmed that one of the deceased, Vinit Gahlot, alias Vicky Mitrau, a resident of Mitrau village near Najafgarh in Delhi, was facing multiple cases of murder, dacoity and Arms Act in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Uttar Pradesh. He was associated with the Manjeet Mahal gang, which is active in the Delhi NCR, sources in the police said.