Armed assailants attacked five youths with sharp-edged weapons and opened fire outside the civil hospital here in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving one with a bullet wound and four others injured.
Police said the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation between two groups near Jawahar Nagar, Kochar Market Chowk, around 2.30 am.
Following the initial clash, the injured went to the civil hospital for medical examination. However, as they stepped out of the facility, the accused allegedly ambushed them and launched a second attack.
The injured have been identified as Karanjeet Singh, Sahil, Mohit and Varun, all residents of Jawahar Nagar Camp, who sustained injuries caused by sharp weapons.
Their associate, Dharminder, a resident of Abdullapur Basti, has suffered a bullet wound to his right leg.
According to police, the victims were returning from a ‘jaago’ ceremony at Sahil’s residence and were on their way to collect mattresses for guests when they were first confronted by the accused—identified as Sooraj Bhatti, Prakash Bhinda, Saurav, Chirag, Karan Negi, Rohit and Shiva. A heated exchange soon escalated into assault.
Assistant sub-inspector Dharminder Kumar, in-charge of Janakpuri police post, said preliminary investigations suggest the conflict was linked to an old dispute over a religious trip.
“Residents of Jawahar Nagar organise an annual bus trip to Baba Balaknath. Last year, a member associated with the accused created a disturbance and was subsequently excluded this year. The accused believed Mohit was responsible for the exclusion, which led to a grudge,” he said.
Police further said that after the initial clash, the victims had gone to the hospital, but the accused attacked them again outside the premises. During the assault, Sooraj Bhatti, who had recently procured a licensed .45 bore pistol, allegedly fired multiple rounds, one of which struck Dharminder. The remaining accused attacked the others with sharp-edged weapons.
“An FIR has been registered against the accused at Division Number 2 police station under attempt to murder and other relevant Sections of the BNS and Arms Act. We are conducting raids to apprehend the accused,” the ASI said.
