Youth Shot Dead During Wedding Ceremony in Balachaur, Police Launch Hunt for Accused

A 21-year-old युवक was shot dead during a wedding function at a marriage palace in Balachaur on Tuesday night, police said. The deceased has been identified as Taranjit Singh, son of Narinderjit Singh. The complaint in the case was filed by his grandfather, Baldev Singh, a resident of Saroa under Police Station Pojewal. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Hemant Malhotra, the incident occurred when Taranjit Singh had escorted the bride to the stage for the ‘Jaimala’ ceremony. He later went to the parking area to collect some items from his car. At the time, the accused—Hevan Chaudhary, a resident of village Dhakkatana under Police Station Balachaur, and Jagdish alias Jonny, a resident of Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand—were sitting near the gate outside the palace office. Hevan Chaudhary allegedly called Taranjit Singh over and began verbally abusing him. During the altercation, Hevan Chaudhary reportedly fired at Taranjit Singh. The bullet struck him in the abdomen, causing him to collapse. He was immediately taken to a private hospital for treatment, where doctors declared him dead. Police have registered a case against both accused, Hevan Chaudhary and Jagdish alias Jonny, and have initiated a search operation to apprehend them. Further investigation is underway.