30-year-old architect shot dead in Ludhiana

A 30-year-old man, an architect by profession, was shot dead by a bike-borne man in Dugri, Phase 1, on Thursday morning. The assailant was caught on a close circuit television (CCTV) camera installed near the crime spot. According to the police, the shooter fired four shots to kill Mandeep Singh alias Pardeep of Khanna Enclave, Dhandra Road.

The police suspect victim’s illicit relation with a married woman to be the reason behind the murder. Victim’s brother Surmeet Singh filed a complaint against Balwinder Singh of Guru Angad Colony, alleging that he (Balwinder) was threatening the family and had given contract to kill Mandeep.

Mandeep worked with a company, Well Design, based in Janta Nagar. On Thursday at around 9.27am, Mandeep visited a construction site in Phase 1, Dugri. The footage of the CCTV camera shows the shooter carrying out a recce of the area twice. At 9.30am, the shooter parked his bike near victim’s car and waited for half an hour. At around 10am when Mandeep was going to sit in his car, the shooter walked towards him and fired four shots at him from the rear and fled the scene on his bike.

Mandeep collapsed on the road. Residents came to his rescue and made him sit on a chair. “When I came outside, I saw a man lying on the road. I raised an alarm and also sprinkled water on his face. When the victim regained consciousness, he stated that he has been attacked. We rushed him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead,” said a woman, who was among the first ones to reach Mandeep.

Commissioner of police Sukhchain Singh Gill said that on the complaint of Surmeet, Balwinder has been booked for murder. “But we are investigating. The man who killed Mandeep has also been identified but his identity will be disclosed later,” he said.

Victim’s brother Surmeet said, “For around two years, we were being threatened by Balwinder. I used to advise my brother to stay away from the woman he was seeing,” he said.

Mandeep is survived by an elder brother, a younger sister and mother.

Family was to move into new house tomorrow

Mandeep’s family was to shift to a new house in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Saturday and all members were busy making preparations. Victim’s mother was inconsolable at the hospital. The family was also looking for a match to Mandeep’s younger sister and planning to get her married by next year.

Business hub turning into crime capital?

October 9: Two employees of a cash management firm were shot at by four robbers in Rajguru Nagar. The accused took away a bag containing ₹10 lakh.

October 8: A vehicle theft suspect, Rohit Kubbaa, opened fire at a cop near Dayanand Medical College and Hospital and escaped. The cop survived the gun shot.

October 5: Former panchayat samiti member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was shot at by two motorcycle-borne assailants at Lalton Kalan village.

September 10: Three bike-borne men looted ₹4.3 lakh from a biscuit trader in Nirmal Nagar after firing at his brother.

First Published: Oct 11, 2018 21:21 IST