Panchkula, Haryana: A 30-year-old man was shot dead late Sunday night in a road rage incident in the Dhakoli area of Panchkula, police said, as tensions boiled over between two drivers during a dispute that reportedly began over “staring” at each other on the road.
According to the Dhakoli police, the victim, identified as Prince, ran a mobile phone shop in Sector 26 and was related to a man who was also injured in the incident. The confrontation began around 11:45 pm when Bharat Bhushan (42) was driving his Toyota Fortuner home from Sector 28 and was stopped abruptly by another car near Balaji Tower that overtook and blocked him.
Bhushan got out of his vehicle to inquire about the situation, and what began as a misunderstanding escalated quickly. Police said the other driver, Kuldeep, reacted angrily, slapped Bhushan and then fired a shot near his leg with a licensed pistol — narrowly missing the injury at first. When the commotion attracted attention, Kuldeep fled the scene.
Prince, Bhushan’s relative, joined him and others in trying to locate Kuldeep nearby. When the accused spotted them approaching, the police said he opened fire again in a vacant plot, injuring both Prince and Bhushan. Prince was declared brought dead at a private hospital in Panchkula, while Bhushan sustained injuries and is reported to be in stable condition.
The Dhakoli police registered a case against Kuldeep under charges including murder and attempt to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and various offences under the Arms Act.
An intensive manhunt led to Kuldeep’s arrest by Mohali police within six hours of the crime, with the licensed **.32-bore revolver and empty cartridges recovered from his possession. Police officials say they are also initiating proceedings to cancel his firearm licence as part of the investigation.
Senior police officers in Panchkula said the quick arrest was due to coordinated efforts between multiple teams, checkpoint deployments and technical surveillance, and assured that strict legal action will be taken.