A neighbourhood dispute involving a pet dog, parking space and alleged damage to a residential gate culminated in the murder of a 43-year-old Singapore-based software executive in Haryana's Faridabad, with his neighbour allegedly firing up to 19 rounds at him on Friday night.
The victim, identified as Paramjith Dhankhar, was visiting his family in Faridabad for Diwali when he was shot dead in the parking area of his residential building in Sector 21C. Dhankhar worked as a senior vice-president at Vietnam-based FPT Software Company Limited's Singapore office. He had earlier spent more than two decades at Indian IT firm Tech Mahindra, where he served as the regional business head for the Asia-Pacific region.
The accused, 42-year-old Mohan Sharma, a contractor and scrap-processing businessman, was arrested from Dealer Chowk in Ballabgarh on Saturday. Police recovered his licensed handgun, two magazines, one of them partially loaded, and 59 live cartridges kept inside the bag used to store the weapon.
The two families lived on different floors of the same four-storey residential building. Dhankhar's family occupied a floor with his parents, wife and two children, while Sharma lived with his family on the second floor.
Three-month dispute over pet dog and parking
According to Dhankhar's relatives, tensions between the two families had been building for nearly three months over Sharma's German Shepherd puppy allegedly defecating in the common parking area on the ground floor.
Dhankhar's family had repeatedly objected to the practice and lodged a police complaint over the issue. The disagreements reportedly extended to the opening of an underground water tank and the use of the common parking space.
A relative of the deceased, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sharma had allegedly damaged one of the three entrance gates to the stilt parking area constructed by Dhankhar to prevent further disputes. The incident had taken place around a week before the shooting and prompted another police complaint.
On Friday morning, police summoned Sharma to the Ankhir police post following Dhankhar's family's complaint. The complaint reportedly accused him of verbal abuse and damaging the entrance gate after being confronted over the dog defecating in the parking area.
A relative alleged that Sharma had also misbehaved with police personnel at the post and threatened to teach Dhankhar a lesson.
"My cousin also reached there. I had got to know from my brother that Sharma had misbehaved with the police too inside the station. He issued there that he would teach him a lesson," the relative said.
Neighbour allegedly lured executive into parking area
The fatal shooting took place at around 8.30pm on Friday. According to Dhankhar's family, Sharma asked him to come downstairs and move his car, claiming that their differences had been resolved and that he did not want any further confrontation.
However, as soon as Dhankhar reached the parking area, Sharma allegedly opened fire at close range, leaving him dead at the spot.
A senior police officer familiar with the investigation said Dhankhar attempted to protect himself but was unable to escape the attack. Sharma allegedly emptied one magazine, loaded another and continued firing.
The officer estimated that at least 19 rounds were fired, with at least nine bullets hitting Dhankhar. Multiple bullet marks were also found on his Mahindra XUV 7XO, as well as on the floor and walls of the stilt parking area.
Pinta Ram, an eyewitness who lives on the first floor of the building, said he heard several gunshots in quick succession.
"Within seconds, we all heard screams and rushed downstairs to find that Sharma had shot Dhankhar dead," he said.
Residents rushed the injured executive to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Accused arrested with handgun and ammunition
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya said Sharma was arrested from Dealer Chowk in Ballabgarh on Saturday. Police said he would be taken on remand for further questioning.
Investigators recovered the licensed handgun allegedly used in the murder, along with two magazines and 59 live cartridges stored in the weapon's bag. The handgun's holster and the magazines were also recovered from the stilt parking area, according to Dhankhar's close friend, Manuj Bajaj.
Family members and police suspect that the attack may have been premeditated, pointing to the fact that Sharma allegedly went to the parking area carrying the handgun and two magazines.
An FIR was registered at Surajkund police station on Saturday, naming Sharma, his wife and their two children. The accused's family members have also been booked on allegations of criminal conspiracy, although they were yet to be arrested at the time of the police statement.
The case invokes sections 103(1) (murder), 109(1) (attempt to murder), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Victim had returned from Singapore for Diwali and family wedding
Dhankhar had returned to Faridabad from Singapore on November 5 to celebrate Diwali with his family. Originally from Hisar, he was also scheduled to attend his nephew's wedding on November 24.
He is survived by his parents, wife, an 18-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter, all of whom lived in the same residential building.
The killing has shocked the neighbourhood, with investigators examining the sequence of disputes between the two families, the alleged threats made before the shooting and the circumstances in which the accused approached Dhankhar in the parking area.