Congress neta shot in Faridabad, cops scan his ‘criminal record’

FARIDABAD: Haryana Congress functionary Vikas Chaudhary was shot dead on Thursday morning by unknown assailants, barely 300 metres from his home on Thursday morning. The 41-year-old Chaudhary, who was a party spokesperson and a close aide of state chief Ashok Tanwar, was parking his white Fortuner outside a gym in Sector 9 when a couple of gun-wielding men, who seem to have been trailing him in a car, pumped about 12-15 bullets at the vehicle, killing him on the spot.
The incident was captured on CCTV camera installed outside the gym.ACP Jaiveer Singh Rathi said 12 spent cartridges were recovered from the crime scene. He added that the attack appeared to be pre-planned and the assailants knew that Chaudhary would come to the gym. A murder case has been registered and police are scanning the CCTV footage to identify the accused, the officer said.
The accused are seen moving towards Vikas Chaudhary’s car parked at the corner; bullet marks on the windshield
The phone records of several people are also being looked at. No one has been arrested so far. Additional DGP (law and order) Navdeep Singh Virk said the killing appears to be connected with Chaudhary’s own criminal background. “As per the leads so far, Chaudhary had a criminal background and 13 FIRs of extortion, kidnapping, attempt to murder were registered against him since 2007 in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. His murder appears to be connected to his own criminal background,” he tweeted.
Virk said seven police teams have been deployed and the Faridabad Police was confident of solving the case soon. “Commissioner of Police Faridabad is personally supervising the investigation,” he said.
Chaudhary’s two personal bodyguards, who used to be with him round the clock, were not by his side on Thursday morning. According to his father RC Chaudhary, while one bodyguard has been on leave for the past few days, the other had requested for the same on Wednesday. The family has not named any suspect so far.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is scheduled to visit Faridabad on Friday for an industrial meet. Several Congress workers from the neighbouring districts are expected to reach the Civil Hospital to demand justice for Chaudhary and carry out demonstrations during his visit.