Amidst heightened security ahead of the Republic Day, a man was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Tuesday afternoon outside the MAM Stadium here, the venue for the flag hoisting by Lt Governor on Republic Day.

The incident has triggered panic in the city.

Advertisement

The motorcycle-borne assailants following the victim, who was driving a Thar vehicle, shot multiple gun fires at him near the crowded Jewel Chowk in the heart of the city killing him on the spot. Doctors declared the victim ‘brought dead’ when he was rushed to the GMC hospital by the police.

The victim has been identified as 37-year-old Sumit Jandial of Ward number 9 in the Vijaypur area of the Samba district.

Assailants fired four to five shots at the man travelling in the car near the Jewel Chowk. The victim sustained a critical bullet injury. He was immediately taken to the government medical college (GMC) hospital where doctors said he was brought dead. The vehicle bore several holes caused by bullets.

Police immediately reached the spot and started a search operation to nab the assailants, officials said. Additional DGP (Jammu) Anand Jain and DIG Shiv Kumar also reached the spot and took stock of the incident.

The ADGP said that the incident appeared to be a fallout of gang war.

In a statement, the police said, “A firing incident occurred this afternoon in the Jewel Chowk area, under the jurisdiction of Police Station Nowabad. Upon receiving the information, police parties, including senior police officers, arrived at the scene.”

Reports indicate that one person has been seriously injured. The injured individual was promptly transported to GMC Jammu by a police team from PS Nowabad, where he later on succumbed to injuries. An investigation has been initiated into the incident, and further details will be provided later. The public is urged to remain calm and refrain from speculation, awaiting official updates from the police.

The body of the slain person was shifted to the mortuary for completion of medico-legal formalities after registering an FIR in the incident, officials added.

Meanwhile, the MAM Stadium where the Republic Day Parade will be held, has already been taken over by the paramilitary forces and the security wing of the J&K Police to sanitise the stadium and the areas around. Such an incident happening in the heavily guarded area is being seen as a failure of the authorities.