Congress leader Vikas Chaudhary shot dead in Faridabad

New Delhi: Haryana Congress leader and spokesperson Vikas Chaudhary was shot dead in broad daylight by unknown assailants in Faridabad on Thursday morning when he was returning back from a gym. The assailants shot around 10 bullets at Chaudhary. CCTV footage of the incident showed masked men firing indiscriminately at his car.

The 34 year-old Congress leader was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the killing and said it reflects the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state.

“The killing of Congress spokesperson and leader Vikas Chaudhary in Faridabad is a condemnable, shameful and tragic incident. It reflects the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana. May Chaudha-ruy’s soul rest in peace and may God provide his family the strength to bear this loss,” Mr Gandhi tweeted in Hindi

According to the information, at about 9 am, several rounds were fired at Chaudhary while he was sitting inside his vehicle. He was rushed to a nearby hospital by locals, where he died later.

The police is yet to identify the men who fired the bullets.

Chaudhary was parking his car outside a gym in Faridabad’s Sector 9 when the assailants fired around a dozen bullets at the vehicle from two sides, which killed him on the spot, a senior Faridabad police official said.

Upon hearing the noise, people rushed to the site and Chaudhary was rushed to Sarvodaya Hospital, where he was declared brought dead, he said.

Prima facie it appears that it was a planned attack, the police said, adding that he was alone at the time of the incident and the bullets hit him in the neck and chest.

The body was handed over to Chaudhary’’s family after post-mortem, he added.

A murder case has been registered and the police are scanning the CCTV footage to identify the accused, the officer said, adding several police teams have also been formed to search for them.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi condemned the killing and said it reflects the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, “The killing of Congress spokesperson and leader Vikas Chaudhary in Faridabad is a condemnable, shameful and tragic incident. It reflects the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Haryana. May Chaudharuy’’s soul rest in peace and may God provide his family the strength to bear this loss.”

Vikas Chaudhary, the spokesperson of the Haryana Congress, had recently switched to the party, after leaving the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar said, “It’s jungle raj here, there is no fear of law. Same kind of incident happened yesterday where a woman who opposed molestation was stabbed. There should be an investigation.”