Timber merchant shot dead over land dispute in Gzb

Ghaziabad: A 45-year-old merchant was shot dead over a land dispute by motorcycle-borne assailants, police said today.

“Mohammad Ali used to run a timber shop. Today in the afternoon hours two bike-borne assailants reached there and fired indiscriminately. Six bullets pierced his body,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Anoop Singh said.

The neighbours immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

As news spread in the area, the villagers gathered at Karan Gate police station out post and staged a protest.

Later, the police officials pacified the crowd and assured that the culprits will be caught as soon as possible.

“The preliminary investigation reveals that Ali had some land dispute with some locals due to which he was killed.

FIR has been lodged against one Naseem, Tahir, Hasim and an unknown man,” Singh said, adding that a manhunt for them is on.

—PTI