Chandigarh Shocker: 17-Year-Old Student Shot Dead, Another Critical As Juveniles Open Fire On Road Over School Rivalry

· Free Press Journal

Chandigarh: A 17-year-old student was shot dead and another teenager critically injured after three juvenile gunmen allegedly riding a motorcycle opened fire on a group of minors in Chandigarh’s Sector 22 late Thursday night. An autorickshaw driver was also injured in the shooting, which police believe was triggered by an earlier clash between the two groups.

The deceased was identified as Naitik, a resident of Sector 22. Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said all those involved in the incident, including the victims and the alleged shooters, were school students. Three suspects were detained within an hour of the shooting, she said, as quoted by The Times of India.

Earlier Clash Between Student Groups

According to the police, the two groups had studied at the same school, but the victims had recently joined another school in Sector 32. The confrontation reportedly began around 10.15 pm in Sector 34, where the teenagers allegedly got into a physical fight.

The clash escalated after some of the participants allegedly recorded videos of the boys who were beaten up and uploaded them to Instagram to humiliate them. Police suspect that those who were assaulted returned with firearms and began searching for members of the rival group.

Gunmen Allegedly Chase Autorickshaw

Around 11.15 pm, the alleged attackers spotted some of the teenagers travelling home in an autorickshaw. They reportedly chased the vehicle through traffic before catching up with it in Sector 22, near a temple. The three suspects allegedly opened fire at close range, triggering panic among devotees and passersby. Witnesses and people in the vicinity scattered as the gunmen fled amid the chaos.

The two teenagers and the autorickshaw driver were left injured at the scene. A police patrol rushed them to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where Naitik succumbed to his injuries. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the report.

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Three Suspects Detained After Shooting

Police cordoned off the area and collected forensic evidence as part of the investigation. Checkpoints were established and teams were deployed to trace the suspects. Three individuals were detained around midnight, less than an hour after the shooting.

Cops are examining the sequence of events leading up to the attack, including the initial altercation, the alleged circulation of videos on social media and the source of the firearms. Police suspect that an old rivalry between the two groups contributed to the violence. Further details about the suspects and the legal action initiated against them are awaited.

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