LUCKNOW: A 28-year-old businessman was shot dead by unidentified assailants late on Monday night in Thakurganj area.
The assailants fired at least eight rounds of bullets on his vehicle and fled. The motive behind the murder could not be ascertained as the family members claimed they had no dispute with anyone. The young man got married just six months ago and is survived by his wife, parents and two sisters.
“The victim, Mahendra Maurya alias Pushkar, a resident of Gram Bhuar in Thakurganj, owns a garment store and runs a marriage lawn in Thakurganj. He was heading home after work when two assailants intercepted his car and opened fire. Locals said that they saw two men running towards railway tracks after the incident,” said deputy commissioner of police, West Zone, Shivasimpi Channappa.
Locals also informed Maurya’s father Roshan, who rushed him to the KGMU trauma centre where he was declared brought dead by doctors.
ADCP West Zone, CN Sinha said that the police will check call detail records of Maurya to find out if he had received any threats and provide protection to the family till the culprits were nabbed.
ACP Chowk IP Singh said that the post-mortem conducted on the body of Mahendra confirmed that his body was riddled with bullets. There were six bullets in his body in which one bullet pierced through his chest, one was in stomach, one in arm, one in underarm and one on his back.
Singh said that an FIR under the charges of murder has been lodged at Thakurganj police station against unidentified assailants.
A teary-eyed Roshan said, “My son got married with Shalini in January 2022 and both were happy. I don’t know why someone has targeted my son. He neither used to carry cash with him that someone would kill him to loot it, nor did he have any dispute with anyone”.
A neighbor, Vimal told TOI that Maurya and his family were very helpful, had built a temple in the colony and even helped in conducting mass marriages.
Later in the evening, family members and locals kept Mahendra’s body near Bhuar railway track and protested, demanding action against culprits.
