A 35-year-old builder in Central Delhi’s Ballimaran was shot dead, allegedly by four unidentified men, while he was taking a stroll outside his home late Thursday night.
Identified as Faheem Ahmed, the victim sustained four bullet injuries even as the assailants fired half-a-dozen rounds at him. Into construction business, Ahmed lived with his family near Punjabi Fatak. The police quoted one of the victim’s neighbours as saying that he was seated on his scooter outside his house around 11.15 pm when he noticed an unidentified man arrive there, catch Ahmed by his collar, and drag him to the middle of the road.
“Within moments, three more men joined the assailant as some of them whipped out pistols and fired several rounds at Ahmed, who immediately collapsed on the road. The assailants brandished their weapons at the public nearby and fled,” an officer said, quoting the eyewitness.
More locals, including Ahmed’s family members, rushed out of their homes on hearing the sound of the gunshots. The victim was immediately rushed to the Lok Nayak Hospital where he succumbed. The police have registered a murder case, and are preparing sketches of the suspects based on the statements given by the eyewitnesses. No suspects were identified until Friday evening.
The police, however, are probing the role of an alleged local builder mafia which is into the business of bringing down old buildings in the area and selling the reconstructed ones.
The police are also investigating if Ahmed was receiving any extortion calls by local criminals as several such complaints from the local area have been received in the recent past, said sources.