Pharmacy cashier shot 13 times in Chandigarh daylight murder

Two masked men shot dead a 45-year-old pharmacy cashier in broad daylight in the Sector 11 here on Saturday, police said.

In CCTV footage of the incident, the two men were standing near the cash counter of the chemist shop. When one of them took out a semi-automatic pistol and fired thirteen rounds at the victim, Janki Das, standing near the cash counter, from very close range.

Das was a native of Himachal Pradesh and was currently living in Dhanas here. The assailants fled from the crime spot on a motorcycle as their third accomplice was waiting outside, the police said.

A few other customers are also seen present inside the shop at the time of the incident. Notably, the main market area of Sector 11 has several chemist shops that see heavy footfall daily, as the place where the incident took place lies adjoining PGIMER here.

An eyewitness told reporters near the crime spot that he was sitting outside the shop when, suddenly, he and some others outside heard the sound of shots being fired.

People shouted “catch them-catch them” as soon as the accused rushed out, but they fired in the air and escaped on the bike, the eyewitness said.

He said despite the ‘police naka’ (check barrier) being barely a few metres away from where the incident took place, the accused managed to escape from the spot.

After the incident, the chemists’ shop in the area downed their shutters on Saturday.

Briefing reporters outside the incident site, Chandigarh Deputy Inspector General of Police, Sumer Pratap Singh said the incident took place around 2.30 pm.

He said the critically injured, Das, was rushed to hospital, but he died.

When asked if any extortion and gangster angle was being seen in the incident, Singh said, “Investigations are at a preliminary stage, and it is too soon to say anything, but we are exploring all angles.”

He said the shop owner had not received any threat. All angles are being taken under investigation.

“We are making all efforts to nab the accused,” he said.