BMW owner who shot man dead over parking dispute was arrested earlier too, say cops; stepson among 3 more held in murder case

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar said that multiple teams were deployed overnight. “Intensive CCTV analysis, technical surveillance, and field enquiries were carried out. Footage from cameras in and around the crime scene was examined, and local intelligence was developed to identify the absconding suspects,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gaurav, a property dealer, has been sent to three-day police custody after being produced in the court on Tuesday, said officers. The murder weapon — a pistol that Gaurav allegedly procured illegally in 2021 — is yet to be recovered.

Officers said that he was arrested earlier too in 2021 in a case related to GST fraud, and spent two months in an Ahmedabad jail.

As police look for another suspect who was present at the crime scene, Pankaj’s family took out a candle march for the second consecutive day on Tuesday near their home in Preet Vihar, seeking justice in the murder case.

While Gaurav and Paras stayed in neighbouring buildings, there were frequent fights between the two families over parking of the cars — a BMW and Fortuner owned by the accused’s family and Paras’s Maruti Baleno, according to officers.

On the night of the incident, another argument broke out between Gaurav and Paras, who called his brother, Pankaj, from Noida, where the 32-year-old lived with his wife and child, for help.

Investigators said the argument escalated quickly during the late-night altercation with tempers flaring over long-standing disagreements regarding parking space in the congested residential lane, an issue residents in several East Delhi colonies have repeatedly raised.

Locals told police that arguments over vehicle placement had become frequent in the area due to limited parking and an increasing number of high-end vehicles.

During the confrontation, Gaurav allegedly fired multiple rounds. One of the bullets struck Pankaj in the chest, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a private hospital in Nirman Vihar, where doctors declared him dead.

Paras sustained minor injuries and was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, from where he was discharged after the first aid.

Police said the accused fled the scene immediately after the shooting, triggering a manhunt. Gaurav was tracked and arrested from Model Town on Monday, while the other two were apprehended the next morning.

Police said they are also examining whether there were prior complaints or calls made regarding the dispute and are speaking to residents of the building to establish the sequence of events leading up to the shooting. Further investigation is underway.

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 on rent about three months ago,” an officer earlier said.