e-rickshaw driver shot in Phagwara

Panic gripped Phagwara on Chhath Puja late night on Monday when an e-rickshaw driver was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Suvidha centre in the Baba Gadhiyan locality of Phagwara. The victim, identified as Kuldeep Dhanwar, 32, originally from district Gumla in Jharkhand and residing in Sukhchaina Nagar, Phagwara, sustained fatal bullet injuries while returning home after dropping a passenger.

According to police sources, the incident occurred around after 12 midnight near the Suvidha Centre at Baba Gadhiyan. Preliminary investigations suggest that Kuldeep was attacked by unidentified assailants who opened fire from the close range. Two bullets reportedly struck him — one in the leg and another in the abdomen. Severely injured, he was initially rushed to the Civil Hospital here by his family but was later referred to the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Kuldeep’s wife Roopa Dhanwar told the police that she received a distress call from her husband shortly midnight, informing her that he had been shot. Acting promptly, she and her son reached the spot with the assistance of the police and shifted Kuldeep to the hospital.

DSP Bharat Bhushan reached the crime scene soon after the incident was reported. SP Madhvi Sharma informed The Tribune that a case has been registered under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1989, at the City Police Station, Phagwara, on the basis of the statement given by the victim’s wife.

“The matter is under investigation. Teams have been formed to identify and trace the accused. CCTV footages from the nearby areas is being examined,” said SP Sharma.

The body has been sent for the post-mortem examination and further proceedings are underway. SP Sharma stated that the motive behind the attack remains unclear, and all possible angles, including personal enmity and attempted robbery, are being explored.