Chandigarh, October 22: A youth was shot dead and another injured after bike-borne assailants opened fire on three youths travelling in an auto-rickshaw in front of the Sanatan Dharma Temple in Sector 22 late on Thursday night, Jagran reported. Two of the three youths were hit in the firing. One of them died during treatment at hospital, while the other was undergoing treatment. The attackers fled the scene after the shooting.
Police teams from the Sector-17 police station and the Crime Branch reached the spot soon after the incident and launched an operation to trace the accused. In remarks recorded by local media at the scene, a senior Chandigarh Police officer confirmed that one person had died and one was injured, and said a special team had been formed and an investigation was under way.
According to preliminary police information reported by Jagran, the shooting may be linked to an old rivalry. That is a preliminary line of inquiry and has not been established. The deceased and the injured youth are said to be residents of Sector 24. Police said they were working to identify the attackers and establish the exact motive, and local reports from the scene described multiple shots being fired at around 9 to 10 pm.
Location: Sector 22, in front of the Sanatan Dharma Temple, Chandigarh. Three youths in an auto-rickshaw were fired upon; two were hit. Toll: one dead, one injured, according to police and Jagran. Probe: Sector-17 police station and Crime Branch; a special team has been formed.
The killing comes at a time when law and order in Punjab is under intense political debate following the October 13 killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was shot dead at a medical store in Mansa. Jagran noted that the Chandigarh murder has added to the pressure on the Bhagwant Mann-led government, which is already facing opposition criticism over the Jhota case. No official reaction from the Punjab government on the Sector 22 firing had been reported at the time of publishing.