Junior cricketer shot dead in Uttar Pradesh, one held

MEERUT - An under-19 national-level cricketer Gagandeep was shot dead in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh late Friday. Police Saturday claimed to have arrested the main accused in the shooting in which another person also died.

Gagandeep was shot when he tried to apprehend one of four youths who had attacked a man in Lal Kurti locality of Meerut late Friday. He later succumbed in hospital.

Police said they had arrested one person in this connection and were looking for other assailants believed to be involved in the crime.

“Main accused Rahul Sirohi has been nabbed and police have recovered a .32 bore pistol from him. The weapon was used to commit the crime,” Additional Director General of police (Law and Order) A.K. Jain told reporters in Lucknow.

Jain said the Gangster Act and National Security Act will be invoked against the accused.

“Some youths shot at a trader, Haji Shahnawaz, after a brawl and were escaping from there when Gagandeep, along with his friends, tried to nab them. One of the youths opened fire at Gagandeep. The cricketer was rushed to hospital where he succumbed,” Meerut police Inspector Rakesh Kumar told IANS.

“Shahnawaz and another passerby received pellet injuries and both were discharged after first aid. But Shahnawaz was again admitted to the hospital following profuse bleeding from his abdomen and died Saturday,” he said.

“Shahnawaz ran a meat shop and had a dispute with some youths Friday afternoon. The same people returned in the night in an Alto car to kill Shahnawaz. However, Gagandeep who had gone to Shahnawaz’s shop to have dinner became a victim,” Kumar added.

According to police, main accused Rahul’s mother - who is a head constable in the Crime Branch of the Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) - was interrogated overnight and later Rahul was arrested.

Two other young men - Ankit Sharma and Ajay - are still at large and wanted by the Delhi Police as well.

“Police teams are raiding various places in and around Meerut and we hope to nab the others soon,” ADG Jain said.

Gagandeep, who was a member of the Indian under-19 cricket team, was in Meerut to play a match against Hyderabad’s team in the tournament for the ongoing C.K. Naidu trophy. He was returning to his hotel after having dinner along with two other cricketers of the Uttar Pradesh team when the incident took place.

Gagandeep was a native of Kanpur and a member of the Uttar Pradesh under-19 cricket team.

Meerut is 450 km from state capital Lucknow and 65 km from Delhi.