Two friends shot dead in northeast Delhi; families allege revenge attack

New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Two men have been shot dead by unidentified assailants at a shop in northeast Delhi's Pratap Nagar, police said on Saturday.

Their families said some people had attacked the deceased eight days ago and they suspected that the same men could have been behind the murder.

The deceased, identified as Sudhir alias Bunty (35) and Radhey Prajapati (30), were shot at when they were sitting in a shop in C-Block, Pratap Nagar, on Friday evening, police said.

Sudhir's mother told reporters that her son and his friend had a quarrel with three men eight days ago, after which the trio was briefly detained by police.

"On Friday night, some people came by the shop in three vehicles and began cursing at my son and his friend. I was in a nearby store when I heard a gunshot and rushed out. My son was lying in a pool of blood where he had been sitting. His friend, who ran out to save himself, was shot near the parking area," she said.

"A few days ago, some attackers had assaulted my son and his friends," she added.

Sudhir's brother Ajay Kumar said his brother and his friend were sitting in the shop when the assailants came in. "My mother was resting on a diwan in a nearby store," Ajay Kumar said.

"The assailants came in and shot at them. My brother fell inside the shop and his friend in the parking area. The attackers fired at them again after the first round," he added.

He said the men started shooting without provocation. "They were cursing our parents. When we asked them why, they said they will do as they please," Ajay Kumar said.

Sudhir's neighbour Suraj said he returned from work around 9 pm on Friday and saw several police vans in the area. "That's when I came to know of the incident. They were a good family," Suraj said.

Deepak, another local who had gone to Panipat that day, said he too learnt of the incident after returning home. "Both of them were friends," he added.

Police at Harsh Vihar station said they received information about the shooting at around 7.15 pm. A police team reached the spot, where they learnt that Sudhir and Radhey Prajapati were rushed to the GTB Hospital with gunshot injuries.

They succumbed to their injuries during treatment, a police officer said, adding that the attack happened over an old enmity.

A case has been registered under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Arms Act.

"Forensic teams are examining the scene of crime and collecting evidence. Multiple teams have been deployed to trace and apprehend the accused," the officer said.

The motive behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, he added. PTI SSJ RUK RUK