Masked assailants shoot dead cashier at Sector-11 chemist shop
Chandigarh, June 14 -- In a broad daylight shocker, two masked men shot dead a 45-year-old cashier of a chemist shop in the busy Sector 11 market in Chandigarh on Saturday afternoon.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the shop, Shri Kumar Medical Hall 1, SCO 14, showed the duo, wearing medical-grade masks, firing at the victim from close range and fleeing on a motorcycle with a third accomplice waiting nearby.
Police said in all, 13 rounds were fired from a sophisticated automatic 9mm pistol. The victim, Janki Das, a native of Rohru, was rushed to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where doctors pronounced him dead.
Hours after the killing, a Facebook page linked to Canada-based gangster Goldy Dhillon claimed responsibility for the attack. The same gang had claimed responsibility for the attacks on comedian Kapil Sharma's cafe in Canada. HT could not independently verify the veracity of the posts.
Police said the assailants in Saturday's incident remained at the shop for only about 30 seconds. CCTV footage showed them loading their weapons in full view of customers, and then opening fire. While both assailants carried firearms, only one fired at the victim. An attendant at the PGIMER mortuary later confirmed that Das had sustained around seven to eight gunshot wounds. An official privy to the investigation said the attackers' calm conduct in a crowded market and their swift escape suggested they were experienced gangsters.
The social media post, purportedly put out by the gangsters, identified the victim as one of the Kumar brothers, leading to suspicion that the shop owners may have been the actual target. Police, however, ruled out the speculation of mistaken identity, stating that though the motive behind the killing is not yet clear, the victim seems to have been specifically targeted. They said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had visited two other chemist shops before arriving at SCO 14, looking for Das. The accused allegedly confirmed his identity before opening fire.
In the post claiming responsibility for the killing, the gangsters also referred to Rana Dhillon-Goldy Dhillon gang's rivalry with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and said that anyone who sides with the latter would have to pay the price. A case of murder has been registered at the Sector 11 police station. Senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic and security), Sumer Pratap Singh, who is currently holding the charge of UT SSP, said teams are probing the possible motive behind the shooting.
The incident comes nearly three months after a property dealer was shot dead by gangsters, allegedly at the behest of a woman who had a monetary dispute with the victim, at the posh Sector 9 market. What's more shocking in the cashier's killing is the fact that the assailants, while fleeing, managed to evade police nakas set up in the area in the aftermath of the property dealer's murder. Police said the accused had sped away towards Mullanpur. In a city well-known for its strict traffic compliance and enforcement, the accused managed to go unnoticed even though they were triple-riding on a two-wheeler. An official privy to the investigation said that the two-wheeler's number plate had been bent to avoid detection.
The owner of Kumar Brothers had received a Rs.1-crore extortion call from Bishnoi aide Sampat Nehra in 2018. Three shots had also been fired outside the same shop on March 3, 2017.
While the owner of the shop remained unavailable for comments, the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal has called a meeting on Sunday to discuss the matter and decide on a protest.
Member of Parliament Manish Tewari wrote on X: "The gruesome murder of Sh. Janki Das is shocking to say the least. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased.
Chandigarh Police must ensure that the assailants are brought to justice at the earliest."...
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