An 11-second video that circulated widely on social media last week, purportedly showing a man being shot dead in broad daylight, has left residents of a Meerut village reeling and police racing to round up suspects. One of the accused, identified as 19-year-old Zulkamar, was arrested after an encounter four days ago, but another key suspect who allegedly filmed the killing remains at large, officials said. Station House Officer (SHO) Yogesh Chandra of Lohia Nagar police station said four teams have been formed to trace the remaining accused. “Prima facie it appears they had a fight over a love affair. We are trying to arrest him soon,” he told The Indian Express. Police have identified the videographer as an 18-year-old youth. In the clip, which investigators say was shot by one of the assailants, the victim lies on the ground as Zulkamar fires three bullets into his chest at close range. The killing is believed to have taken place near a tube well in the forested area of Narhada village, under Lohia Nagar police station limits. According to police, the deceased has been named as Adil, alias Rehan, 25, a clothes seller from Radhna Wali Gali in the Lisari Gate area. His body was recovered on the morning of September 30, hours after the assault. Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tanda said the two men were known to each other. “An FIR was registered after a complaint by the family. The motive behind the incident and the making of the video is being probed,” he told The Indian Express, adding that investigators are trying to establish whether Adil was alive when the video was recorded. Tanda said that during an operation following the murder, police tried to stop two accused but came under fire. “One accused was injured in retaliatory fire and was later arrested; his accomplice managed to flee,” he said. At the police station, Zulkamar told officers that his friend had urged him to shoot and had filmed and circulated the video, Tanda said. As one suspect remains at large and the motive is being examined, authorities say they are closing in on all leads.
