M A I N   N E W S

Punjab industrialist shot dead in Himachal
Crime took place in front of his Mehatpur factory
Contract killing suspected
Tribune News Service

Una, February 14
An industrialist from Punjab was shot dead in broad daylight in Himachal on Thursday in what seems to be the first contract killing in the state.

Vinod Kumar had gone to his cotton seed cake factory in Mehatpur industrial area bordering Punjab and was taking out some goods from the boot of his car when three motorcycle-borne assailants shot him around 12.15 pm today. The assailants fled immediately after the incident, which occurred in front of his factory.

Vinod was rushed to the NFL Hospital in adjoining Nangal town of Punjab where he was declared dead. Some labourers overheard the assailants asking Jain if he was the owner of the factory, sources said. When he replied in the affirmative, they shot him in the back on the left and fled.

Some local residents told the police that the assailants were seen in the area yesterday and were making inquiries about Vinod from factory workers, sources said.

Vinod, who hailed from Phillaur in Punjab, had come to Mehatpur about 45 days. Work at the factory had been suspended for some time and the workers were sitting on the roof when the shootout took place. He also had an oil mill in Jammu and three industrial units in Phillaur.

The Mehatpur industrial area has one entry and exit. The Mehatpur entry point to the state is also manned by police and excise personal as there is an excise and state entry fee collection centre there. However, the assailants seemed to have carefully worked out their exit plan after committing the crime. Till the filing of this report, no arrest had been made.

Una SP Ravinder Sharma said the possibility of it being a contract killing could not be ruled out. He said the police was working on various leads and culprits would be apprehended soon. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered, he said.

The police are also working looking into the possibility of a property or financial dispute and have recorded the statements of Vinod’s partners, sources said. The police also might go in for making the sketches of the assailants to nab them.

The killing sent shock waves in the Mehatpur industrial area as people discussed the deteriorating law and order situation in the area.