Wanted for Jalandhar shootout, 2 accused shot dead by accomplice

Two men were shot dead allegedly by their crime associate while they were sleeping at a friend’s house near Lamba Pind Chowk here early Saturday morning.

The victims, Shiv (24) of Mota Singh Nagar and Vinay Tiwari (22) of Basti Sheikh, were done to death following a heated argument allegedly by their accomplice, Manna, a youth from Mitthapur, who fled the scene after the crime.

According to the police, all the three men were wanted for a shooting incident in Mota Singh Nagar 20 days ago. The trio had allegedly fired at two youths, Karanveer Singh and Honey Chahal, injuring them severely.

A case had been registered at Police Station Division Number-6 under various charges, including attempted murder and the Arms Act, after which they went into hiding.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the three had an argument late Friday night while they were staying at the house. Manna, angry over the dispute, waited until Shiv and Vinay fell asleep before shooting them multiple times.

Seven to eight bullet shells were recovered from the crime scene. The bodies have been sent for postmortem and the police are hunting for Manna.

Sources said the incident was likely fuelled by an old rivalry between the victims and their previous targets in the Mota Singh Nagar shooting. Karanveer Singh, who was shot in the stomach and Honey Chahal, who suffered gunshot injuries to his leg and hand, had longstanding issues with the deceased.

The city police, including teams from Rama Mandi police station and CIA staff, are investigating the case and have launched a manhunt for Manna. "We are searching nearby areas and escape routes, suspecting that the suspect has fled the city," said police officials.