A 43-year-old man, who was a key witness in his wife's murder case, was shot dead in full public view in Sonipat's district court at around 10.30am on Friday. Police said that two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at the victim, identified as Ved Prakash, outside advocates' chamber number 207 on the courts complex, and fled. Investigators said that Ved Prakash was hit at least thrice and died on the spot. By the time a police party reached the scene, the assailants had fled from the scene. According to the police, Ved Prakash, a resident of Mukimpur village in Sonipat, was shot when he had gone to court to attend a hearing in his wife's murder case. “A team from the Crime Branch and another from the district police rushed to the spot as soon as we received information about the shooting and initiated investigations. Ved Prakash was rushed to Sonipat's civil hospital, where he was declared brought dead by doctors. An autopsy has been conducted on the body to ascertain the cause of death," said city police station in-charge, Vazir Singh. He added that Ved Prakash had reached the court complex on Friday and had gone to the advocates' chambers to meet his lawyer. While coming out, he was fired at by the two assailants. A case has been registered under sections of murder and under the provisions of Arms Act against the two assailants, who were yet to be identified, police said. Investigators are also scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas to ascertain the identities of the accused and have so far determined that the motorbike used in the crime was black in colour. According to the police, Ved Prakash had married one Kanika in December 2020, against her family's wishes. Kanika, who was 18-years-old at that time, was Ved Prakash's friend Vijaypal's daughter. Both Ved Prakash and Kanika were natives of same village. Subsequently, Vijaypal had managed to convince Kanika to come back home. He had later left the village with Kanika and started living in Rohtak. On June 3, 2021, Kanika had run away from her home in Rohtak to go live with Ved Prakash. A month after this, Vijaypal had somehow again managed to convince Kanika to come home on July 6, on the pretext of celebrating her birthday. On July 6, Ved Prakash met Kanika for the last time as he dropped her near Rai police station. He had also then made a video of Vijaypal taking Kanika in his car. Police alleged that after this Vijaypal, and one of his relatives Virender, then drove to a canal, where Kanika was strangulated and her body dumped in the water. When Kanika did not return, Ved Prakash filed a complaint with Rai police station. Vijaypal was later picked up by the police and during questioning, confessed that he had murdered his daughter and subsequently thrown her body in Meerut canal. Both Vijaypala, and his relative Virender, were arrested by the police and are currently in jail. According to the police, Ved Prakash had gone to court on Friday to record his statement in the case. Ved Prakash, they said, had earlier claimed that he was being pressurised not to give his statement in court, and had lodged a complaint in this regard with the police.
