Gangster shot 10 times, was main target of assailants: Police probe

The two assailants who shot dead Vinit Gahlot, alias Vicky Mitrau, and two others outside a city resort, had come fully prepared to eliminate the gangster, reveals the preliminary investigation by the police.

In a suspected case of inter-gang rivalry, the accused sprayed a volley of bullets to gun down Vinit as soon as he stepped out of the Sultanate resort after attending his friend’s birthday at around 2.30 am on Monday. While he sustained 10 bullet injuries, his 17-year-old nephew and another 22-year-old, Vandana, alias Nia, were also killed in the attack.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants used .32 bore and 9 mm weapons to attack Vinit, whose name has appeared in around five cases of murder, dacoity and Arms Act in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Uttar Pradesh.

According to the FIR, the accused also opened fire in the air before fleeing the scene. While Vinit’s nephew from Najafgarh, Tirath, who rushed to save his uncle, died of six bullet injuries, Vandana was shot once in the chest. All three victims were declared dead when brought to Civil Hospital in Sector 6 by Vinit’s friends.

An official from the department said it appears that Vinit was the main target, adding, “His nephew died in an attempt to save his uncle from the assailants.”

Moreover, the investigation also suggests that the third deceased, Vandana, was in the firing range as she was also headed for the car. A police official had on Monday said another girl, who was about to get into the car with the three deceased, escaped unhurt.

According to sources in police, Vandana, hailing from Uchana Kalan in Jind, did not known Vinit and was simply attending Zirakpur resident Rohit Bhardwaj’s birthday party with a woman acquaintance who was friends with someone invited to the party. The 22-year-old, who was cremated today at her hometown in Haryana, was a student living in Chandigarh’s Sector 22 as a paying guest and had no other links with Vinit.

Her family members refused to talk to the mediapersons about the incident after her cremation. Sources privy to the details said Vandana lived in Chandigarh and was preparing for the IELTS. How she came in contact with Vicky remains unclear.

Vandana last visited home three to four months ago. Her father, Rajesh, is a government teacher and is posted in the primary school located close to their residence in Uchana Kalan. She also has a 15-year-old brother.

The sources said she had gone to Chandigarh after completing Class 12 around a year ago and was planning to move abroad to pursue an MBBS degree.

(With inputs from Hisar)