Sonu Nolta, a national Kabaddi player, was shot dead outside a mall in Haryana late Thursday night. According to a Times of India report, police suspect this to be a gang-linked targeted killing. The victim was a native of Nolta village in Kalka near Haryana’s Panchkula. He was attacked while sitting in a car with his friend and two other women.
The TOI report further stated that the firing incident took place around 10:30 pm outside Cosmo Mall. The assailants were in a Maruti Swift when they opened fire on Nolta. Around 15 bullets were shot, of which seven struck the victims’ head, chest, back and hand. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.
“At around 10.45 pm, we received information that a firing incident took place. Upon reaching the spot, we came to know that two persons named Sonu Nolta and one other person were shot at by some miscreants. Sonu Nolta has died in the incident. The other person is out of danger… Some people have taken responsibility, we are investigating it further…” DCP Gupta told ANI.
Reportedly, the attack was captured on nearby CCTV footage, though police have not released the video of the incident. However, a man named Piyush Pinjori uploaded the video on Instagram, claiming responsibility for the murder.
Recent deaths in Panchkula
Another tragic incident in Panchkula occurred earlier on May 27, when seven members of a family from Dehradun were found dead inside a car parked in Sector 27. The deceased were identified as Praveen Mittal (42), his parents, wife, two daughters, and a son. All seven bodies were found inside a locked car parked on the roadside, outside a house in the residential area.
Panchkula DCP Himadri Kaushik and DCP Law and Order Amit Dahiya immediately reached the location and began an investigation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Panchkula, Himadri Kaushik, said, “We received information that six people have been brought to Ojas Hospital. When we reached here, we found out that they are all dead. Another person was brought to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6; he has also been declared dead. Prima facie, it looks like a matter of suicide. All the investigating officers are at the spot…All of the deceased are family members…” The police recovered a suicide note from the car. However, the full contents of the note were not disclosed.
(With ANI Inputs)