New Delhi: Brigadier (retired) Mukesh K. Joshi, 74, who spent decades serving in conflict zones in Kashmir and along the Chinese border, was killed by a stray bullet during a morning walk in Dehradun Sunday after a late-night bar fight spilled on to a residential neighbourhood—an incident residents say reflects growing lawlessness along the Mussoorie–Rajpur Road stretch.
The retired officer was caught in the crossfire of an exchange between two groups following an altercation at a nightclub. Residents describe the area as a “lawless zone” marked by drunken driving and limited police enforcement.
“He survived tough days in his career, but he couldn’t survive the guests who come to visit Dehradun,” said Rakesh Upreti, Joshi’s brother-in-law told ThePrint. “It was the lack of police presence and pickets that killed him, not just the bullets.”
Dehradun Police said the violence began at GenZ Pub in the Johri area on the night of 29 March, after an argument over the bill between a guest, Aditya Chaudhary, and Mohit Agarwal, an employee at the club. In the middle of the argument, Mohit called his colleagues and together they wrecked Aditya’s Scorpio, police said.
Aditya left the club but waited outside with friends. When Mohit and other staffers exited the club early morning of 30 March, Aditya and his friends chased them. Soon the two sides started firing at each other, police said.
At the time, around 6.30 am, Joshi stepped out for a walk with Upreti and their friend S. P. Sharma. As they were walking along the narrow lanes, Upreti says, they saw speeding cars. “We also heard a loud noise, and we assumed it was a tyre bursting. We saw Joshi-ji on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. I checked and there were gun shot wounds. I was shocked. One of the bullets had hit Joshi-ji,” Upreti told ThePrint.
Joshi was rushed to Max Hospital but died on the way, the police said.
Police said the club was operating beyond legal hours. “It was open till 2.30 am. Around 3.30 am, again there was a fight. And around 4.30 the car was smashed,” SSP Dehradun Pramendra Singh Dobal said in a press conference. “We accept it was the police’s fault that the club was open till late at night. We will initiate departmental proceedings,” the SSP added.
The police have arrested four people, including the club owner, Sandeep, and Aditya Chaudhary. “Both parties are accused in the matter and have been booked for murder,” SP (City) Dehradun Pramod Kumar told ThePrint.
Joshi leaves behind a son, an Indian Navy Commander deployed in Mauritius, and a daughter who works in Goa.
“Joshi-ji had a grand career for decades. He worked in the intelligence team and was posted in Kashmir. No enemy touched him, but he was killed in an exchange of fire. How was he at fault?” Upreti said.
Anger among residents
The incident has revived concerns about repeated episodes of unruly behaviour and violence along the Mussoorie Road and nearby Rajpur Road.
In February, Vikram Sharma, a Jharkhand-based history-sheeter, was shot dead in broad daylight outside Silver City Mall on Rajpur Road, a short distance from the official residence of the SSP, Dehradun. In August 2025, a late-night scuffle near Pyramid Club in Rajpur led to cross-complaints and arrests. In 2024, six young people were killed near ONGC Square when their speeding car rammed a truck at an intersection.
Ward councillor Sagar Lama told ThePrint the Mussoorie Road stretch becomes unsafe after 9 pm.
“Cars from Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh crowd the streets. Boys are fighting, drinking until morning because of these night clubs that are opening up,” Lama said.
S.P. Sharma, who was on the walk with Joshi, said the area has become uninhabitable. “There are no police pickets or barriers on this road. People do drugs; alcohol is sold at grocery shops, and they commit crimes because they know they can just drive away,” Sharma told ThePrint.
The SSP Dehradun confirmed the GenZ pub has been sealed and its licence is being cancelled. Police have also been ordered to shut down clubs operating beyond legal hours and crack down on unruly behaviour. “We will ensure police presence is in full force where these incidents happen,” the SSP said, though he admitted some areas had been left out of regular checks in the past.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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