Noida: A 27-year-old software engineer working with TCS was shot dead in his SUV at Noida’s Sector 76 on Monday evening.
Ankit Chauhan had just met his wife, also a software engineer with Accenture whom he had married only three months back, and was driving home with a friend, when two men in a white Honda Accord overtook his Toyota Fortuner and fired at him, hitting him in the hand and neck. He was taken to a hospital in Noida, where he was declared dead.
Police have no idea who the killers are or why they targeted Ankit. They said it could possibly be a case of personal enmity. Ankit’s family was too traumatized to speak.
Deputy SP Rajkumar Mishra said three to four shots were fired at Ankit Chauhan, who was driving towards his home in Prateek Wisteria society in Sector 77 after meeting his wife at her office in Sector 135.
“The incident occurred around 4.30 pm. The assailants first overtook Ankit’s SUV and fired at the windscreen. Then they pulled up to the side and fired. Ankit lost control and his SUV hit a tree. One of the assailants then got out of his car and shot Ankit in the neck. After that they sped away,” Mishra said.
Ankit sustained bullet injuries on his neck and hand, Mishra said.
“Gagan, Ankit’s friend, escaped unhurt. But he did not know how to drive. Finally, a passerby took them to Kailash Hospital, where he was declared brought dead upon arrival,” Mishra said.
Gautambudh Nagar senior superintendent of police Preetinder Singh said prima facie this does not seem to be a case either loot, robbery or road rage.
“This seems like a premeditated killing because of a personal enmity. We have been speaking to the family of the victim, as well as the friend who was in the car. At present the family is traumatized and is not in position to speak,” Singh said.
“We were told that the attackers came in a white car and have set up check-posts, but have so far not been able to track down the car. We will speak to the family to try ascertain the motive. We are also scanning footage from CCTVs near the crime scene,” he said.
A case has been registered under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code with the Sector 49 police station and further investigation is under way, an officer said.
According to police, Ankit’s father Dharamveer Chauhan retired from Modi Tyres and is at present working as a developer in Meerut while Ankit’s wife Ameesha’s father is a director at SD College in Muzaffarnagar.