A festive Diwali evening turned tragic for a family in Farsh Bazar, east Delhi, when two armed men opened fire outside their home.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 40-year-old Akash Sharma and his 16-year-old nephew, Rishabh, while Sharma's 13-year-old son, Krish, was seriously injured.
The shooting happened around 8 PM as the family was celebrating Diwali. CCTV footage captured the assailants stopping their scooter, bowing to touch Sharma's feet, and then starting to shoot while pursuing him into the house. Rishabh was shot when he tried to grab one of the attackers.
Police have arrested a juvenile, just shy of 18, in connection with the crime.
Authorities are searching for the second suspect, identified as the main shooter on camera. Investigators believe a dispute over Rs 70,000 is at the heart of the incident.
They mentioned that Sharma, who worked as a property dealer and money lender, had reportedly hired a teenager to shoot at a house the previous month. "On Diwali night, the same teenager and his accomplice shot Sharma because he hadn’t paid up," a senior police officer said.
Further investigation revealed that the juvenile was a distant relative of Sharma and had worked for him as a punter. He allegedly had a criminal history as well.
"The accused teenager said he was promised around Rs 70,000. After the shooting, Sharma avoided him and didn’t pay," the officer explained, adding that there was a recent argument between Sharma and the juvenile's father. "Frustrated and angry, the juvenile supposedly made a plan for revenge, hiring a hitman and paying him Rs 1.5 lakh to carry out the murder," the officer added.
Police sources indicated that Sharma might have been aware of the threats against him.
"He had been isolating himself lately, spending less time outside," a relative was quoted as saying.
DCP Prashant Gautam confirmed that Sharma had a criminal background, with his first recorded case dating back to 2004.
"He was involved in several cases, including assault, gambling, and even kidnapping and gang rape in 2015," the officer noted. Last year, Sharma faced charges of attempted murder.
His older brother, Yogesh Sharma, whose son Rishabh was killed, claimed he was the real target of the attack and had received threatening phone calls days before the shooting.
Sharma's elderly mother mentioned that the juvenile had visited their home a few days prior, pretending to be friendly.
"He called us downstairs to greet us and offer sweets," she said.
Neighbors expressed shock at the violent incident, noting that the sound of gunfire was initially masked by firecrackers.
"I was returning from a nearby shop when I saw the assailants shooting someone on our street. I saw them flee on a scooter. When we approached, we found blood at the front door and on the street."
Police are currently reviewing the juvenile's statements to confirm the details of the attack and will compare his account with that of the second suspect.
(With inputs from TOI)
The attack resulted in the deaths of 40-year-old Akash Sharma and his 16-year-old nephew, Rishabh, while Sharma's 13-year-old son, Krish, was seriously injured.
The shooting happened around 8 PM as the family was celebrating Diwali. CCTV footage captured the assailants stopping their scooter, bowing to touch Sharma's feet, and then starting to shoot while pursuing him into the house. Rishabh was shot when he tried to grab one of the attackers.
A 40-year-old man and his teenage nephew were shot dead, and his 10-year-old son was injured, when two armed men opened fire outside their residence in #Delhi's #Shahdara
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) November 1, 2024
Know more đź”—https://t.co/6LdKrdfYGy pic.twitter.com/fMk64NIk8k
Police have arrested a juvenile, just shy of 18, in connection with the crime.
Authorities are searching for the second suspect, identified as the main shooter on camera. Investigators believe a dispute over Rs 70,000 is at the heart of the incident.
They mentioned that Sharma, who worked as a property dealer and money lender, had reportedly hired a teenager to shoot at a house the previous month. "On Diwali night, the same teenager and his accomplice shot Sharma because he hadn’t paid up," a senior police officer said.
Further investigation revealed that the juvenile was a distant relative of Sharma and had worked for him as a punter. He allegedly had a criminal history as well.
"The accused teenager said he was promised around Rs 70,000. After the shooting, Sharma avoided him and didn’t pay," the officer explained, adding that there was a recent argument between Sharma and the juvenile's father. "Frustrated and angry, the juvenile supposedly made a plan for revenge, hiring a hitman and paying him Rs 1.5 lakh to carry out the murder," the officer added.
Police sources indicated that Sharma might have been aware of the threats against him.
"He had been isolating himself lately, spending less time outside," a relative was quoted as saying.
DCP Prashant Gautam confirmed that Sharma had a criminal background, with his first recorded case dating back to 2004.
"He was involved in several cases, including assault, gambling, and even kidnapping and gang rape in 2015," the officer noted. Last year, Sharma faced charges of attempted murder.
His older brother, Yogesh Sharma, whose son Rishabh was killed, claimed he was the real target of the attack and had received threatening phone calls days before the shooting.
Sharma's elderly mother mentioned that the juvenile had visited their home a few days prior, pretending to be friendly.
"He called us downstairs to greet us and offer sweets," she said.
Neighbors expressed shock at the violent incident, noting that the sound of gunfire was initially masked by firecrackers.
"I was returning from a nearby shop when I saw the assailants shooting someone on our street. I saw them flee on a scooter. When we approached, we found blood at the front door and on the street."
Police are currently reviewing the juvenile's statements to confirm the details of the attack and will compare his account with that of the second suspect.
(With inputs from TOI)
You may also like
Spain to deploy additional troops as flood death toll reaches 211
Paul Merson and Chris Sutton can't agree on Arsenal v Newcastle United prediction
India protests allegations against Amit Shah by Canadian minister
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 review: Kartik Aaryan's film is neither funny nor scary
AIADMK to meet on Nov 6 to prepare roadmap for 2026 Assembly polls
