Man shot dead, another injured over old rivalry

A man was killed and his associate got injured after armed assailants opened fire on them in Latifpur village in Hastinapur block here on Wednesday evening.

The deceased has been identified as Paramjit Singh, alias Gulla, 35, while his associate Gurumukh Singh has been critically injured.

The attack which occurred near a country liquor outlet on Bamnoli Road, is believed to be linked to a long-standing rivalry over the 2021 village head elections and retribution for a murder that took place over a year ago.

According to police, Paramjit and Gurumukh were at a shop when motorcycle-borne armed assailants opened fire on them.

Paramjit was struck thrice in the head and neck, killing him instantly while Gurumukh sustained two bullet wounds—one grazing him and another lodged in his back. Hastinapur police rushed the victims to a private hospital in Mawana, where Paramjit was declared dead. Gurumukh was later transferred to Meerut Medical College, where he remains in critical condition.

SP (rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra confirmed that a complaint has been filed against seven suspects, and an FIR has been registered under BNS section191(2) (rioting), 191(3) (rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon), 190 (unlawful assembly), 103(1) (murder) and 109(1) (attempt to murder).

Meanwhile, police have also detained one Prabhu Singh, father of Teerath Singh—who was murdered in January 2024—for questioning after he arrived at the Hastinapur police station claiming that Paramjit had also shot at him.

Deceased Paramjit’s wife Payal Kaur has accused the village head Gore alias Dildar, of masterminding her husband’s murder. In an emotional outburst, she alleged that Dildar had falsely implicated Paramjit in Teerath Singh’s killing, leading to his imprisonment. Released on bail in November 2024 after four months behind bars, Paramjit had since faced repeated death threats from the village head, Payal claimed.

“The entire matter is being investigated in detail. Prima facia it seems to be revenge killing tied to Gram Panchayat election,” SP Mishra said.

The violence traces back to the murder of Teerath Singh on January 6, 2024, in the courtyard of Gurdwara Sahib in Kishanpur village. Prabhu Singh, Teerath’s father, had named five individuals, including Paramjit, in a murder case filed at the time. Wednesday’s killing is widely seen as an act of vengeance for Teerath’s death.