Ghaziabad: A 32-year-old man allegedly whipped out a country-made pistol and shot his father dead after being pulled up for drinking in front of his mother in Modinagar on Wednesday night.The argument that began over alcohol quickly escalated into a bitter dispute over a family property estimated to be worth more than Rs 150 crore. Police said the accused, Nikhil, fired three bullets at his father, Hariom (55), before fleeing.Hariom, a farmer from Budana village, had finished dinner and was resting when Nikhil returned home around 11pm in an inebriated state. According to the complaint lodged by Hariom’s wife, Meenakshi (50), her husband questioned their elder son over his drinking habits. The exchange soon turned into an argument over property.“My husband asked Nikhil why he had come home drunk. The argument soon shifted to the property dispute. And in a fit of rage, Nikhil opened fire with the intention of killing my husband,” Meenakshi said.“After the commotion, I rushed in and saw Nikhil holding a pistol. He fired three bullets at my husband in front of me. The bullets struck his head and abdomen. My husband slumped to the ground, and Nikhil ran away,” she added.With the help of neighbours and relatives, the family rushed Hariom to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.Hariom is survived by his wife and two sons — Nikhil and Nishu (27). According to Jaiprakash, a relative, Hariom owned around 75 bighas, part of it near Delhi-Meerut Expressway, besides three shops in the Modinagar market. The family’s assets are estimated to be worth over Rs 150 crore.“Though Hariom had divided the property into three shares, the transfer was never legally executed. Nikhil wanted the paperwork completed immediately, but Hariom refused to do so before his marriage. His drinking habit and circle of friends were among the reasons the transfer was delayed,” Jaiprakash said.DCP (rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said an FIR was registered under Section 103 (murder) of the BNS, and five police teams were formed to trace the accused. He added that preliminary inquiry revealed Nikhil had allegedly shot and injured his younger brother in 2018 as well, though no complaint was lodged at the time.
