Man shot dead at Murthal dhaba in suspected revenge killing

Panic gripped the popular eatery hub of Murthal on Thursday evening after a 35-year-old man was shot dead and his associate sustained bullet injuries in a brazen attack at Veer Dhaba on NH-44 near Kamaspur village. The assailants fired over 10 rounds before fleeing the scene in a car.

The deceased has been identified as Deepak from Guhna village, while the injured, Mandeep from Murthal village, has been admitted to the PGI Rohtak after initial treatment at the Civil Hospital.

According to police sources, Deepak had a criminal record and was released on bail in November last year. On Thursday, he and Mandeep were travelling from Tis Hazari Court in Delhi to Sonepat when they stopped at Veer Dhaba. As they stepped out of their car, another vehicle arrived and the occupants opened fire from behind.

“The assailants fired 7-8 rounds at Deepak and Mandeep before fleeing the spot,” said a police official. Deepak succumbed to his injuries on the scene, while Mandeep was rushed to the hospital by bystanders.

Narender Singh, DCP Crime, confirmed that both the deceased and the injured had criminal backgrounds. “Prima facie, it appears to be a case of old enmity. Deepak was involved in the 2012 murder of Dhola, the sarpanch of Shahpur village. Dhola was the brother-in-law of Rakesh alias Pampu of Sewah village in Panipat,” he said.

Police suspect that Rakesh, a notorious criminal, avenged his brother-in-law’s murder by orchestrating Deepak’s killing. “Rakesh was recently released on parole from Panipat court,” the DCP added.

Following the incident, police teams arrived at the scene and began their investigation. Authorities are scanning CCTV footage and questioning eyewitnesses to track down the suspects.

Meanwhile, Deepak’s body has been sent to the Civil Hospital mortuary for a postmortem, which is scheduled for Friday.

Police are now on high alert, anticipating possible retaliatory action between the rival factions.