A group of miscreants allegedly opened fire targeting a college student and his friends near municipal corporation Zone D office in Sarabha Nagar on Sunday night, officials said.
They added that as one of the victims, Garry Bhardwaj of Sarabha Nagar, was an eyewitness in an earlier firing case, the accused fired the shots with intent to kill over the rivalry.
However, the victims escaped unhurt, and two bullets struck the BMW car they were traveling in. 23-year-old Bhardwaj was accompanied by Karan alias Yuvi and Sahil Dhawan.
After firing at the victims, the accused escaped in their Maruti Suzuki Brezza car.
On being informed, the Sarabha Nagar police reached the spot and initiated an investigation.
A first-information report (FIR) was registered against Aryan of Salem Tabri, Deepa Purewal of Bahadur Ke village and their three unidentified accomplices after a complaint by Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj said the three friends went to an eatery in Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar for dinner. He added that when they were going towards Model Town, the accused intercepted their way near the MC office.
Bhardwaj added that accused Aryan was driving the Brezza car. He said that before he could react, Deepa, who was sitting in the front seat, discharged his weapon at him.
He sped up the vehicle as the bullets hit the car’s chassis. He alleged that the accused chased then and fired three more bullets which missed.
He alleged that in October 2023, one of his friends, Mudit Sood, had a scuffle with the accused over entry passes of an event at a restaurant on South City road.
He said the accused had opened fire and his friend Mudit and one Abhijit Mand were injured. The police had registered an FIR against the accused following a complaint by Sood.
“As I was one of the witnesses in the case, the accused tried to target me,” he added.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP Civil Lines) Jatin Bansal said that a case under sections 109 (attempt to murder), 191 (3) (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offense committed in prosecution of common object) and125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Arms Act was registered against the accused. A hunt is on to arrest them, he added.
