Dehradun, Apr 1 (PTI) The last rites of retired Army Brigadier Mukesh Joshi, who was killed after being caught in a crossfire between two rival groups in Dehradun, were performed on Wednesday.
Joshi’s son lit the funeral pyre at the cremation ground as family members, officials, and locals paid their final respects.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the bereaved family at their residence in Johri village and assured strict action against those responsible.
Joshi, the 74-year-old former Army officer, was on a morning walk along Mussoorie Road on Monday when he was fatally hit during an exchange of fire between occupants of a Fortuner and a Scorpio, triggered by a dispute that began at a nightclub.
Police said three more accused have been arrested following continuous raids, taking the total number of arrests to seven so far. The newly arrested include Aadesh Giri (54) from Shamli, Mohit Arora (28) from Delhi, and Sameer Chaudhary (21) from Haridwar. Efforts are underway to nab the remaining accused.
On the day of the incident, the police arrested four accused individuals — Sandeep Kumar, Rohit Kumar, Mohammad Akhlaq, and Aditya Chaudhary — belonging to both factions involved.
The police informed that during the interrogation of the arrested accused, information was obtained regarding four other accused travelling in the Scorpio — Shantanu Tyagi, Kavish Tyagi, Sameer Chaudhary, and Vaibhav — as well as two accused travelling in the Fortuner — Aadesh Giri and Mohit Arora.
According to the police, the dispute between the two factions involved in the shootout began late Sunday night at the nightclub ‘Gen-Z,’ where Aditya Chaudhary and his associates got into an altercation with the club’s staff over reducing their bill amount.
The police further informed that, subsequently, the club employees—Rohit Kumar, Akhlaq, and others—smashed the windshield of Aditya’s new Scorpio SUV, which was operating without a license plate.
After leaving the club, Aditya and his associates stopped a short distance away to wait for the club employees, intending to exact revenge. When the employees eventually emerged in the morning, seated in a Fortuner SUV, Aditya and his associates began chasing them in their Scorpio.
In an attempt to force the Fortuner to stop, one of Aditya’s associates, Shantanu, opened fire at the vehicle; the occupants of the Fortuner then returned fire.
Joshi was caught in the crossfire and succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile, after a Fortuner car came to a halt following a collision with a roadside tree, the occupants of a Scorpio stepped out, assaulted the passengers of the Fortuner, and fled the scene.
Taking serious note of the incident, the CM has ordered the launch of ‘Operation Prahar’ across the state to crack down on criminal elements. Two officials, including a police outpost in-charge and a deputy excise inspector, have been suspended.
Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Harish Rawat also attended the funeral and expressed condolences, praying for strength for the grieving family.
Police said teams are actively pursuing the remaining suspects and assured that all those involved will be brought to justice. PTI DPT NB
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