A 22-year-old man was shot dead while bursting firecrackers with his friends outside his home in the Mahtabgarh neighborhood of Kapurthala, Punjab, late in the evening. The victim, identified as Mani, was rushed to the Civil Hospital after being shot in the chest but could not survive.
According to preliminary information, two brothers from the same neighborhood, identified as Kamal and Mani, have been accused of opening fire on the victim. Police suspect that the murder may have been linked to an old enmity.
The incident has left the victim's family in shock, particularly as Mani had been married only nine months ago.
According to reports, Mani was outside his house in Mahtabgarh, bursting firecrackers with his friends, when the accused allegedly arrived at the spot.
The two brothers, Kamal and Mani, were reportedly accompanied by a few other people. They allegedly opened fire on Mani during the incident.
A bullet struck the victim in the centre of his chest, leaving him seriously injured.
After hearing the gunshot, family members and local residents rushed outside to check what had happened. They found Mani injured and immediately took him to the Civil Hospital in Kapurthala for treatment.
However, doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
The friends who were present with Mani reportedly fled the spot after the shooting.
Two brothers named in the murder; police teams conducting raids
Following the incident, police teams from the City and Kotwali police stations reached the neighborhood and started investigating the case.
Sub-divisional DSP Sheetal Singh said that Mani was bursting firecrackers with his friends outside his house when the two accused allegedly opened fire on him.
The police have identified the accused as Kamal and Mani, who are brothers and residents of the same neighborhood.
According to the DSP, separate teams from the CIA staff and City Police Station have been deployed to conduct raids and arrest the suspects.
The police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the possible motive behind the murder.
DSP Sheetal Singh further stated that two cases under the Arms Act had previously been registered against one of the accused, Kamal.
Police have said that efforts are underway to apprehend both accused.
The shooting has left Mani's family devastated.
Harjinder Kaur, a relative of the deceased, said that Mani had got married only nine months ago.
His wife was still wearing her traditional red bridal bangles, known as chooda, when the incident took place.
The relative said that Mani was the only brother of four sisters.
His sudden death has left the family inconsolable, as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their young son.
The incident has also raised concerns among residents of the neighborhood, where the shooting took place outside the victim's home.
The murder took place in the densely populated Mahtabgarh neighborhood of Kapurthala, where Mani was celebrating with friends by bursting firecrackers.
The sound of gunfire triggered panic among residents, who rushed outside after hearing the shot.
The incident has shocked the local community, particularly because the victim was a young man who had recently started his married life.
Police are currently focusing on arresting the two accused and investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting.
The suspected old enmity between the victim and the accused is being examined as a possible reason behind the murder.
Further details about the motive and the sequence of events are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.
