A BMW parked outside a residential building in East Delhi’s Preet Vihar was at the centre of a dispute that allegedly ended in murder early Monday, with a property dealer accused of killing his neighbour’s brother after finding the parking entry blocked by a Maruti Baleno.
The accused, Gaurav Sharma, was arrested around 12 hours later in Model Town after fleeing the scene, said police.
Gaurav allegedly took out a pistol and shot Pankaj Nayyar (34) while they were arguing. Pankaj had come to the aid of his brother, Paras (43), after the latter called him to help settle the dispute.
Police said Pankaj used to stay in Noida with his child and wife, who is pregnant with their second child.
Around 9 pm on Sunday, Paras parked his Maruti Baleno car in front of his building — A 144 in Preet Vihar — and went to have dinner at a restaurant.
“Gaurav arrived in his BMW and found the Baleno blocking entry into the building. He called Paras and asked him to move the car. Paras said he won’t be able to come and offered Sharma his parking spot in an adjacent building, A 145, where he owns a plot. Gaurav parked the BMW there,” a senior officer said. A 144 and 145 buildings are part of the same residential complex.
When Paras returned home, he allegedly parked his Baleno at Gaurav’s parking slot at the A 144 building. At midnight, Gaurav’s son, Siddharth (20), came home in Toyota Fortuner. Gaurav again called Paras.
The A 144 building of the residential complex at Preet Vihar on Monday, where the incident took place. (Express Photo)
“When Gaurav told Paras to remove the Baleno, Paras told him that every tenant has only one designated parking spot allotted in the complex, and since he had given Gaurav his spot at A 155 building, he can’t get a second parking spot. This led to an argument, and Paras called his younger brother Pankaj,” the officer said.
Police said Pankaj allegedly called up Gaurav and told him to “come meet him in Noida if he has such issues”.
Around 12.30 am, Pankaj arrived at his brothers’ place but by then, family members had intervened and defused the situation.
Around 2 am, the situation escalated. Police said Gaurav — who was allegedly drunk — arrived at A 144 in his Fortuner with his two friends, his juvenile son, and Siddharth. He allegedly started abusing the brothers, who came downstairs.
Police said that Gaurav soon pulled out a pistol and shot Pankaj in the chest. He was rushed to Malik Radix Health Care Hospital in Nirman Vihar, where he was declared dead on arrival. The accused, meanwhile, fled the scene.
Police said they received two PCR calls about the incident — at 2.22 am and 2.26 am — reporting a quarrel and firing.
While Pankaj and Paras ran garment shops in Chandni Chowk, Gaurav owns several properties in Shakarpur and also runs an import-export business, said police. “He has properties in Shakarpur, which he has put on rent. He used to live at Shakarpur, but shifted to Preet Vihar about three months ago,” the officer said.
Gaurav’s juvenile son is from his first wife, whom he has divorced. He later married the widow of his elder brother. “She is also Siddharth’s mother and has seven-year-old twins with Gaurav,” the officer said, adding that the woman has claimed that Gaurav does not carry any weapon.
On Monday morning, the parking lot of A 144 — a four-storey building in one of the posh localities of East Delhi — was full of Pankaj’s relatives.
Siddharth’s Toyota Fortuner, however, still stood at its entrance. “The police have not yet removed the car, despite repeated requests. We are now calling a private crane for it,” said Pankaj’s uncle Sanjay.
He alleged that during the argument, Paras and Gaurav got into a physical fight. “Gaurav then just took out his pistol and shot Pankaj in the chest. He was provoked by his sons.”
On a foldable chair at the parking lot, sat Jeevan, Pankaj and Paras’s father. He was not at home when his son was shot but was attending a wedding with his wife Shakuntala.
“Gaurav always pushed to park both his cars though there is only one designated parking slot for each family. But we never thought he would kill for it,” he said, adding that Pankaj previously used to stay with him only, but had moved to Noida recently.
The family’s second-storey home was filled with around 20 women. On the couch near the entrance sat Shakuntala, refusing to eat. “Everything is gone. How can I eat,” she sobbed.
Inside one of the rooms, Divya, Pankaj’s wife, said, “Around midnight, he told me that he is going to sort out an issue between Paras and a neighbour. He did not return.”
Later in the day, acting on local inputs and CCTV footage, Sharma was arrested from Model Town. “He was apprehended from Model Town within hours of the incident,” DCP (East) Rajiv Kumar said.
The Preet Vihar police station has lodged an FIR under sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS and also under the Arms Act.
Police said they are now looking for the remaining accused who accompanied Gaurav during the arguments.
The victim, Pankaj. 
The A 144 building of the residential complex at Preet Vihar on Monday, where the incident took place. (Express Photo)
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