Ludhiana: A 31-year-old driver was allegedly shot dead during a clash between two groups over a car parking dispute in the Tajpur Road area, police said on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Dilbara Singh, alias Harry, a resident of Panchkula in Haryana. He had been living in Ludhiana with his wife, Rajwinder Kaur, for the past few months, according to police.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident took place on Tuesday night after Harry learnt that some residents of the EWS Colony had allegedly vandalised his friend Vikas’s car. He went to the spot to mediate, police said.
An argument soon escalated into a physical clash. The two groups had also fought earlier on Tuesday evening, officials said.
DCP (Rural) Gursewak Singh said Harry’s group outnumbered the rival side during the confrontation. Fearing an assault, a youth identified as Jonty allegedly pulled out a weapon and opened fire. A bullet struck Harry in the chest, causing him to collapse at the scene.
His friends rushed him to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.
The main accused, Jonty, is absconding. A murder case has been registered against him, and special teams have been formed to arrest him. Police are also investigating whether members of either group have previous criminal records.
