Vadodara: The late-night shooting that left a garment trader seriously injured has taken an international turn, with police alleging the attack stemmed from a long-running business dispute in Fiji.Police have arrested two men from Chhattisgarh and say the shooting was part of a contract killing conspiracy planned after weeks of surveillance.Vadodara police on Saturday said they cracked the Waghodia Road firing case in which garment trader Ashish Kumar Madanlal Bakoliya was shot last week.Police said the contract killing plot arose from an old business dispute in Fiji.The accused, Vikram Pratap Gopichandra Singh and Gurjeet alias Gurmeet Singh alias Banti Gurudayal Singh Bhatti, residents of Bhilai in Durg district, were brought to Vadodara after being detained with the assistance of Chhattisgarh Police.Bakoliya, 37, who is from Delhi and runs a garment business in Vadodara, was shot near Waghodia Chokdi on the night of June 26 while going home from his shop. A bullet struck his shoulder, leaving him seriously injured.Addressing reporters, Vadodara range inspector general of police Sandeep Singh said the investigation established that the attack was premeditated and involved extensive surveillance of the victim.“The teams examined more than 2,000 pieces of CCTV footage and followed human and technical leads to trace the accused and uncover the conspiracy,” Singh said.According to police, the accused visited Vadodara several times in June to monitor Bakoliya’s movements. Investigators said they came to the city on June 12, June 18 and June 25, parked their motorcycle at Vadodara railway station and returned to Durg by train after conducting reconnaissance.Police said Bakoliya had previously worked as a financial manager with a steel company in Fiji, where he allegedly had a long-standing dispute with the company’s owner, Jay Dayal.Investigators allege that Vikram Pratap Singh, who had also worked for the same company, was sent to India to eliminate Bakoliya.Police further alleged that expenses related to the operation, including travel, accommodation and procurement of weapons, were routed through the bank account of Vikram’s wife. Investigators estimate that around Rs 2.72 lakh was transferred through contacts allegedly linked to Dayal.Vadodara rural SP Sushil Agrawal said the probe, conducted under Operation Parakram, involved 10 teams drawn from the local crime branch, special operations group and local police stations.“The accused conducted repeated reconnaissance and planned the attack. One of them had even booked travel to Fiji on July 7, and we put out a lookout notice to prevent him from leaving the country,” Agrawal said.Police alleged that Gurjeet was promised Rs 50,000 to carry out the shooting. Investigators said he was riding pillion and shot Bakoliya while Vikram drove the motorcycle. The duo allegedly wore helmets and face coverings to avoid identification.Police recovered a pistol, two magazines and 10 cartridges, which investigators believe were used in the crime.Police records show Gurjeet has multiple criminal cases registered against him in Chhattisgarh, including offences under the Arms Act and cases of robbery, assault and theft.Police emphasised that the alleged role of Jay Dayal and the purported financial transactions form part of the ongoing investigation.
