New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) A 34-year-old cloth trader was shot dead by his tenant allegedly over a parking dispute in east Delhi’s Preet Vihar in the early hours of Monday. Police have arrested the prime accused, Gaurav Sharma, and launched an investigation to identify his associates, who are suspected of having fled the city. The incident allegedly stemmed from a quarrel over a vehicle parking outside their residential building.
According to the police, two PCR calls were received at the Preet Vihar police station at 2.22 am and 2.26 am regarding a quarrel and a firing incident. The dispute involved Pankaj Nayyar (34) and his elder brother Paras Nayyar (43) on the one side, and their tenant, Gaurav Sharma, on the other. “The argument escalated rapidly, during which the accused opened fire. One of the bullets struck Pankaj in the chest,” a senior police officer said. Police sources mentioned that Sharma, who is said to be a businessman, fired three rounds under the influence of alcohol and fled the spot, along with his associates. Pankaj was rushed to a private hospital in Nirman Vihar in a critical condition, where doctors declared him dead. His brother, Paras, who was also assaulted during the incident, sustained injuries and was taken to the LBS Hospital for treatment. Subsequently, the police, acting on local inputs and CCTV footage, arrested Sharma from Model Town later in the day. “The accused was identified through technical surveillance and CCTV analysis. He was apprehended from Model Town within hours of the incident,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajiv Kumar said. The police have filed an FIR under Sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS and also under Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. Sharma is being interrogated, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend his accomplices. Investigators are also probing the role of the accused’s son and nephew, who were allegedly present during the incident, police said. The crime team and forensic science laboratory (FSL) officials inspected the site and found empty cartridges and collected other evidence. DCP (East) Rajiv Kumar said the Nayyar family is engaged in the cloth trade in Chandni Chowk. According to the police, Sharma lived as a tenant in the same building, occupying the upper floor. He is involved in property dealings in the Shakarpur area and reportedly works in the import-export business. “Preliminary investigation suggests that tensions had been brewing over parking arrangements. Accused Gaurav has two different luxury cars, including one SUV. He used to park both of his vehicles in front of the Nayyar family’s house, which was objected to on several occasions,” a police source stated. Relatives alleged that Pankaj had politely requested Sharma to park his vehicle at another property owned by the Nayyar family in the adjacent building, which triggered the dispute. “My cousin lives on the second floor. There are two brothers in the family. Gaurav Sharma was their tenant and lived on the floor below. He came there and started a fight over parking,” said Anup, a cousin of the deceased.
“After some time, he returned with his associates and started abusing them. When my cousin came downstairs along with his brother, Sharma began physically assaulting him,” Anup alleged. Family members claimed that Paras was the first one to be attacked. “He has visible marks on his forehead from being punched. Then Sharma fired three rounds, during which one bullet struck Pankaj in the chest,” a relative said. Pankaj and Paras’ uncle, Mohan, recounted how the family received news of the incident in the middle of the night. “I was unwell and had taken my medicines. I was sleeping when my son came around 3.30 am and told me that Pankaj had been shot,” he said. Pointing towards the vehicles allegedly belonging to the accused, Mohan said, “He has two cars — a Toyota Fortuner and a BMW. One was parked here, and the other at another property. The dispute was over parking.” Visuals surfaced on social media showed Pankaj’s wife, Divya, who is seven months pregnant, crying inconsolably, as neighbours and relatives try to comfort her. Her grief, compounded by her advanced pregnancy, has drawn widespread sympathy. Meanwhile, police said they are examining all angles, including prior disputes between the parties. Paras lives with his parents, 72-year-old Jeevan Naya and Shakuntala Nayyar, and sisters, Sonia and Monica, in Preet Vihar, while Pankaj lived with his wife Divya and their six-year-old son in Noida. PTI BM BM KSI MPL MPL
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