One person suffered two bullet injuries and several others were injured after two rival groups attacked each other with sharp-edged weapons during a clash near Pippal Chowk in Chhawni Mohalla on Tuesday afternoon.
The confrontation escalated into gunfire, triggering panic among shopkeepers in the busy area. Police suspect an old rivalry between the two groups led to the violence. The injured person was identified as Aakash Mattu, who was shot at twice during the clash. He was rushed to a private hospital by his associates, where he is undergoing surgery and has been declared unfit to give his statement. The groups, comprising around four youths on one side and six on the other, first exchanged blows and attacked each other in the middle of the road. They also allegedly damaged a Hyundai i10 parked near the spot, which police suspect belongs to Mattu. The situation turned more serious when gunshots were fired. Several shopkeepers fled their establishments and moved to safety, fearing they could be caught in the crossfire. Some reportedly left their shops and returned only after the youths had left the area, following which they informed the police. “Two groups of miscreants indulged in a clash. They attacked each other, during which gunshots were fired, leaving one person injured. The injured man also has FIRs registered against him. He is undergoing surgery at a private hospital and has been declared unfit to give his statement. Police recovered the damaged Hyundai i10 from the spot and are examining CCTV footage from cameras installed around Pippal Chowk to identify those involved and establish who opened fire. Mattu had reportedly come out on bail only a few days ago in an assault case.
An FIR has been registered against members of both groups at Division Number 4 police station, Bhanot said. Police had earlier booked him and his aides for assaulting a Haibowal resident on July 10 following a rivalry.
Mattu already has several FIRs registered against him, police said. Assistant commissioner of police (Central) Anil Bhanot said preliminary investigation suggested that the two groups had challenged each other to a face-off before gathering near Pippal Chowk. Rivalry between the two groups is suspected to be the reason behind the violence,” Bhanot said.
