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Businessman shot dead

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 31. A 40-year-old restaurant owner, who was also engaged in chit fund and finance business, was shot and stabbed by at least three men near his residence in the bustling South Extension area in South Delhi today. Asserting that it was a case of business dispute, the police claim to have identified the assailants.

Around noon today, Surender Gupta -- owner of Gupta Paradise restaurant and a mobile phone shop in South Extension Part-II -- was going to his restaurant when he was stopped by some people near his 47 Housing Society residence in H-Block South Extension Part-I.

It is learnt that Gupta came out of his Honda City car and was attacked by the assailants who were armed with knives and a firearm. The miscreants first stabbed him on the face and when he resisted, they shot him in the left forearm, following which he fell on the ground. The assailants shot him again in the back and fled from the scene on foot.

Mukesh Choudhary, who owns a business complex near the spot, said he was in his underground office when he heard people shouting that someone had been shot. He went to the spot and found his friend, Gupta, with bullet wounds lying outside his car. The car's door was shut. Mukesh and another person, Rajkumar, rushed Gupta to AIIMS in his vehicle where he succumbed to his injuries while being treated.

Enquiries revealed that this morning Gupta had gone to meet his neighbour, an Air Commodore (retired), Mahinder Singh, who lives in the ground floor of the building. Mr. Singh said that Gupta was with him for over half-an-hour and minutes before the incident he had received a call asking him to come to his restaurant.

During investigations, the police found that Gupta was into finance and chit fund business. He was also a Congress Seva Dal leader of the area. Gradually, he started the restaurant and mobile phone business and shifted to his present accommodation around two year ago. He has a son and four daughters, while his wife died a couple of years ago. Gupta was also into property business.

The police suspect that an inter-business dispute could be the reason for the incident. They are also investigating whether any dispute pertaining to Gupta's chit fund and finance business led to the incident. Gupta's brother, Vinod, said he did not know of any such dispute. He said Gupta had closed the chit fund business over five years ago.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Delhi, Vivek Gogia, said though the suspects had been identified, it was too early to establish the motive behind the murder before their arrest. Meanwhile, a case of murder has been registered at Kotla Mubarakpur police station and a hunt launched for the suspects.

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