Gohana/ Sonipat: A property dealer was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants outside his office on Rohtak Road in Gohana on Friday evening, triggering fresh concerns over law and order in Sonipat. It was the eighth murder in a week.The victim, Bijender alias Nanha Pehal, was sitting inside his SUV around 6.30 pm when the attackers fired 14-15 rounds at him and sped off, witnesses have told police.Investigators suspect the hitmen had recced him and knew when he would leave office. Pehal died on the spot. Police recovered 13 shell casings.Police commissioner Mamta Singh visited the crime scene and reviewed the investigation. She said four police teams are pursuing different leads to trace the assailants.Acknowledging the spate of killings in the district, Mamta Singh said four of the eight murders were linked to liquor brawls. She said families also needed to pay attention to such incidents and cooperate with police in preventing alcohol-related disputes from escalating into violent crimes.On Wednesday, a manager with a clothing firm was shot dead after a road-rage incident on Delhi-Katra Expressway. Police have arrested a 75-year-old ex-sarpanch for the murder. On Diwali, a 37-year-old man was beaten to death following a dispute over filling water in Kharkhoda. His blood-smeared body was found on Rohtak Road. Two men were injured in the attack. A 35-year-old truck driver was beaten to death following a quarrel during a drinking session in Tajpur village.The string of murders, though unrelated, has sparked alarm among the public.The police commissioner said 45 additional checkpoints have been set up across Sonipat district. These are separate from the routine naka points.Police personnel were conducting day-and-night patrolling, and security measures would be tightened even further, she said. Mamta Singh said habitual offenders and individuals facing criminal cases are being summoned to police stations for questioning and regular verification. Their activities are being monitored, particularly to ascertain whether they are carrying illegal firearms.On the road-rage murder, the police chief said preliminary investigation does not indicate a gang-war angle. The Gohana property dealer’s murder, however, appeared to be a planned attack and police were examining all possible angles, she said.
