Dehradun, March 30: A retired army officer, Brigadier VK Joshi, was shot dead on Monday in Rajpur area of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, after he was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight, police said.
According to authorities, the incident occurred around 7 in the morning after an argument between the occupants of two vehicles that were traveling in the area. The situation led to an exchange of gunfire. Joshi, who was out for a morning walk at the time, was caught in the crossfire and suffered serious injuries.
He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Pramod Kumar of Dehradun city SP said, “Around 7 am, we received information through the control room about a dispute in Johari village related to overtaking between two vehicles, during which firing took place. One person was injured in the incident and was shifted to the hospital. We have now been informed that he died during treatment.”
He added that “the area has been cordoned off and the vehicle involved, as well as the people who were in it, are under investigation. Arrests will be made soon in the case.”
Police officers have launched an extensive search operation and set up blockades in multiple police station jurisdictions, including rural areas, to locate those involved. Efforts are also underway to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the dismissal.
Authorities said more details will emerge as the investigation progresses.
In a separate incident earlier this year, on January 11, another retired army officer lost his life in a road accident in Panchkula, Haryana. Lieutenant General Kulwant Singh Mann, aged around 85, was hit by an unidentified vehicle while he was taking a morning walk near his residence.
He was rushed to the Army Command Hospital in Chandimandir, but later died of his injuries. The police had registered a case against the unidentified driver and were examining CCTV footage from nearby areas as the accident site lacked camera coverage.
–IANOS