Three members of a family died while another member is battling for his life after they attacked each other with guns and kirpan in a parking lot at their residence in Northwest Delhi’s Model Town 2 on Thursday night over “property dispute”, police said on Friday.
The ghastly murders have come as a stark reminder of the Ponty Chadha bloodbath in 2012 in which liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep Chadha had killed each other at a farmhouse in Delhi’s Chhattarpur area over property dispute.
Police said the two of the deceased, Gurjit (48) and Jaspal (52) were brothers and had been involved in a property dispute for the past six years after the death of their father, Gurnaam Singh. The third deceased is Jaspal’s wife Prabhjot. While Gurjit’s son Jagnoo has sustained life-threatening injuries, said police officials.
“On Thursday night, Jaspal accidentally ran over his Audi on Gurjit’s foot at the parking lot in the building. This enraged Gurjit and both the brothers got into a heated argument which escalated once their respective relatives joined in. Jaspal’s wife Prabhjot was also there. Gurjit was with his son, Jagnoo (24), and his two bouncers,” a senior police officer said.
Jaspal’s daughter Harpriya, who had rushed to the spot hearing the commotion, told police that her uncle Gurjit damaged the window of their car after which her father, Jaspal, fatally stabbed Gurjit with a kirpan.
“In retaliation, the two bouncers of Gurjit fired at Jaspal and Prabhjot,” said police.
Prabhjot tried to shield her husband Jaspal and she was shot twice in eye and head. After seeing his wife collapse, Jaspal tried to flee the spot but was shot in the back. He didn’t give up and tried to enter a neighbour’s house but was stopped by the security guard. He then sat on a children’s swing near the neighbour’s house for half an hour until the PCR van arrived.
As the blood was spilled, Haripriya rushed out of the house and called the PCR. She then asked a passerby to take the injured to hospital. However, in hospital they were declared brought dead.
Police said they have arrested two bouncers, identified as Pawan Kumar and Vicky, employed by Gurjit as Protective Service Officers (PSO) for past few months. Police suspect the bloodbath was a result of property dispute.
However, relatives of the deceased have denied police theory and claimed that the fight was over parking space.
A senior investigator said, “Around three months ago, a fight had reportedly broken out between the two brothers over a property dispute following which cross-FIRs were lodged.”
The officer further said, “Gurjit, who had two bouncers for his security, was running a food and bar restaurant at Model Town 2. The family said the bouncers were recruited after fights at the restaurant a few months ago.”
Although both the brothers had differences owing to the property dispute, they used to live in the same building. While Jaspal used to live with his wife, two daughters and a son on the ground floor, Gurjit lived with his wife and two sons on the first floor.
Aslam Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Northwest said, “We have registered a case under section 302 of the IPC and Arms Act at the Model Town police station. We have registered two FIRs in this matter. One FIR has been filed by daughter of the deceased couple (Jaspal and his wife Prabhjot) and the second FIR has been filed by Gurjit’s wife.”
