A dispute during a liquor party in Chhara village of Bahadurgarh, Haryana, turned fatal on Saturday night when Neeraj, the roughly 45 year old contractor who held the security contract for Chhara toll plaza, was shot multiple times and killed. His 24 year old nephew, Manjeet, was also wounded in the same firing. Acting on Manjeet's complaint, police at Ausada police station have registered a case against six named accused, including fellow villager Nitesh, under charges of murder, attempted murder and the Arms Act, and have launched an investigation.
A midnight phone call that led to gunfire
According to the police account, Nitesh's associate Pramod called Neeraj around midnight and asked him to come to Nitesh's house to talk things out. Neeraj went along with his nephew Manjeet, where they found Nitesh, his brother Yogesh, Pramod, and three others, Rambir, Sunehra and Jitender alias Karma, already present. The conversation quickly turned into abuse and assault. Neeraj's other relative, Ajay alias Bablu, also arrived at the spot around then. It is alleged that Nitesh grabbed a pistol from Jitender alias Karma and fired four to five rounds at Neeraj. When Manjeet stepped in to save his uncle, he too was shot in the leg. The accused then fled the scene after threatening to kill both men.
A warning ignored from days earlier
In his complaint to police, Manjeet said he had an altercation with Nitesh three to four days before the shooting, during which Nitesh threatened to kill him. Manjeet had told his uncles, Neeraj and Ajay alias Bablu, about the threat at the time, and Neeraj had assured him he would talk sense into Nitesh. It was with that intention that Neeraj went to Nitesh's house on Saturday night, only to be met with bullets instead of a conversation.
Rushed to hospital in Rohtak
After the shooting, Ajay alias Bablu took both Neeraj and Manjeet to a private hospital, Kaynos Hospital, in Rohtak. Doctors there declared Neeraj dead on arrival, while Manjeet's treatment is still ongoing. Neeraj is survived by three children, and his sudden death has left the family devastated, with tension gripping the village since the incident. Investigators point to an old rivalry between the two sides as the likely motive behind the killing.
Case registered, accused on the run
Based on Manjeet's complaint, Ausada police station has booked Nitesh, Yogesh, Pramod, Rambir, Sunehra and Jitender alias Karma under murder, attempted murder and other sections. All the accused have been on the run since the incident, and police are searching for them.
