Ghaziabad Man on Bail Shot Multiple Times, Drives Himself to Hospital in Critical Condition
In a shocking incident in Ghaziabad, a 35-year-old man, who was out on bail in an extortion case, was shot five times by assailants outside a roadside eatery in the Modinagar area on Thursday night. The victim, identified as Rahul Chaudhary, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension, sustained severe bullet injuries but managed to drive himself over 25 kilometres to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition, according to police reports.
CCTV Footage Reveals Details of the Attack
Modinagar ACP Bhaskar Verma stated that authorities have recovered a 49-second CCTV footage from the scene. The footage shows two men standing near a scooter outside Swagat Dhaba in the Seekri Kalan area near NH-58 as Chaudhary arrived in his Scorpio around 9:30 pm on Thursday. One of the men can be seen opening the car door beside the driver’s seat. Approximately 20 seconds later, a third man, wearing a black shirt and blue jeans, approaches the SUV and opens fire at Chaudhary, who was still seated in the driving position. After the shooting, the assailant walked away calmly, while the two other men rode off on the scooter. The area was reportedly busy at the time, with several cars passing by as captured in the CCTV clips.
Victim's Harrowing Drive to Hospital
Chaudhary sustained bullet injuries to his neck, chest, abdomen, and leg. Despite bleeding heavily, he managed to start his Scorpio and drive for more than 30 minutes towards Yashoda Hospital in Sanjay Nagar. Hospital staff later informed police that Chaudhary drove through the main gate unassisted, stepped out of the vehicle, and called for help before collapsing. He was immediately taken for an emergency operation and subsequently moved to the intensive care unit, where his condition remains critical.
Background and Motive of the Attack
Initial investigations suggest that Chaudhary had gone to the dhaba to collect Rs 75,000 from two men he had been in contact with. According to his wife, Karishma, Chaudhary had received calls from acquaintances Vinay Vashishth and Arvind Saini, asking him to meet. He left home around 7 pm and initially declined to meet at Vashishth’s residence due to a narrow approach road, instead agreeing to meet at Swagat Dhaba. Karishma alleged that after about 15 minutes of conversation, when Chaudhary was about to leave, Saini opened the car door and asked, ‘Bhaiya, when will you come again?’ At that moment, Vashishth, Saini, Ashwani Chauhan, and an unknown person opened fire at him.
Broader Conspiracy and Police Action
Karishma further claimed that Jalbeer Pandit, Ravi Valmiki, and Peetam Saini orchestrated the broader conspiracy to carry out the attack. She stated that Pandit is a history-sheeter with over two dozen cases to his name and had previously ordered a similar attack on her husband. A case was registered at Niwari police station, but Pandit remains an absconder. Police records indicate that Chaudhary himself was named as an accused in 18 cases, including charges of murder, attempt to murder, and extortion, across multiple police stations in Ghaziabad, such as Modinagar, Bhojpur, and Niwari. He had been acquitted in seven of these cases but was arrested six months ago in an extortion case and had come out on bail just two months before the attack.
FIR Registered and Investigation Underway
Based on Karishma’s complaint, police have registered an FIR under BNS sections 109 (attempt to murder) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) against Jalbeer Pandit, Ravi Valmiki, Peetam Saini, Vinay Vashishth, Arvind Saini, Ashwani Chauhan, and two unidentified persons. Five teams have been formed to arrest the accused. Police are also scanning CCTV footage from surrounding areas to identify the shooter and trace the others involved, as confirmed by ACP Bhaskar Verma. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to uncover all details of this brazen attack.
