Bikaner/Jaipur: A 35-year-old hotel owner was killed and three others injured after a gang of miscreants opened fire at a newly opened hotel in Churu on Monday evening, police said.
The incident occurred around 12.30am at a hotel on Sandoa Road in Churu.
“The hotel was opened on February 23. Three to four unidentified armed men arrived in a car, entered the building and opened indiscriminate fire, killing the owner on the spot and wounding three others,” Churu police inspector Jay Yadav said.
The preliminary investigation indicates that a previous rivalry linked to the liquor trade was behind the attack. “The deceased was named Maniram Manda and the attackers were involved in the liquor trade for a long time. Both the parties had applied for a bar in the same area which led to a dispute. During the preliminary investigation, a dispute related to liquor trade came to light. There was an ongoing rivalry with another group associated with the trade,” Yadav added.
CCTV footage of the incident, which has not been independently verified by HT, showed the three men, who had white cloths covering their faces, storming into the hotel and shooting customers and staff at the counter. One of the agents also threw a tool at one of the shooters in retaliation, but he failed to stop them.
While Manda died on the spot, the three injured people – Bikharam, Shravan and Prabhuram, all residents of Dadiba – were rushed to a government hospital in Sujangarh from where they were also referred to SMS Hospital in Jaipur for advanced medical care. They are decisive,” Yadav said.
“Police recovered spent cartridges from the scene and sealed the hotel. CCTV footage from the hotel and nearby areas is being examined to identify the attackers,” Yadav said.
“We have also arrested three suspects in the afternoon and are interrogating them. Necessary measures will be taken accordingly. Police forces have been heavily deployed at the hospital as a precautionary measure to prevent any further incident,” he added.
Reacting to this development, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the deteriorating law and order situation. “The incident has shaken the entire state of Rajasthan. The traders are very scared. These murders and shootings have become a common sight in the state. The commerce minister should focus more on establishing law and order.”
