Thaindian News

Ghaziabad, Jan 25 (IANS) In a suspected case of honour killing, a 25-year-old ice-cube trader was shot dead in broad daylight by half a dozen assailants in Ghaziabad Wednesday, police said.

Vikas Sharma, a resident of Shahdara in Delhi, was shot thrice around 12 noon while he was sitting at a tea vendor’s shop in Shalimar Garden.

Vikas was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

According to Superintendent of Police (City) J.K. Shahi, Vikas, originally a resident of Jawli locality in Loni, was in love with a local girl named Sunita. Around seven years back, the two had eloped following which the girl’s father Azad lodged a complaint with the police.

“The two were found later and the girl was sent back to her parents. Vikas was sent to jail for enticing her. The girl, however, recorded her statements in court in favour of Vikas,” Shahi said.

“In the course of trial, the girl could not be produced in the court by her family as they had already killed her (for eloping with Vikas). Due to her abstinence from the court, Vikas was granted bail. Owing to fear from the girl’s side, Vikas then shifted from Jawali to Shahdara,” he said.

The girl’s father, Azad, hatched a conspiracy and deployed a local, Rajesh Dhama, to help kill Vikas. The local befriended Vikas by claiming to be a property dealer, police said.

Dhama asked Vikas to come to Shalimar Garden to see a plot. As Vikas went there, the assailants opened fire.

“We have registered a case of murder against Azad, Rajesh Dhama and two unidentified people,” J.K. Shahi said.