Bajrang Dal Member Killed Outside Home In Noida, Family Says Murdered For Opposing Gambling

A member of the Bajrang Dal, Ajay Chaudhary, was shot dead outside his house on Thursday night in the National Capital Region. A resident of Noida's Sector 8, the victim, 25, often complained about illicit activities in the neighbourhood such as smoking of marijuana and gambling, as per his family. They allege that he was killed for raising his voice against these activities.

The victim's brother, Vijay Chaudhary, registered a murder case at Sector 20 police station against Ashraf alias Gatva, Jafar Ali, Sartaj Ahmad, Sitabu Ansari, Jeetu Yadav and Rafiq along with two unnamed persons. The police have nabbed Sitabu, Jafar, and Sartaj. Rest, including Jeetu – the main accused – are absconding and the police are looking for them.

Nikki Chaudhary, victim's sister-in-law, told The Times of India that around 9:15 pm on Thursday, Ashraf came home and called Ajay outside. Ajay was shot as soon as he stepped out. A neighbour took him to the district hospital with the police, from where he was referred to Kailash hospital. He was declared brought dead at Kailash.

When the dead body was handed over to the family on Friday after autopsy, members of the family and Bajrang Dal blocked the road in protest. They were demanding slapping of National Security Act on the accused, suspension of the local station head officer (SHO), a house and a government job for the family and renaming the crime spot in his name.

The police had to baton-charge the protesters and use tear gas to disperse them. Statements of the administration and the protesters differ regarding the violence.

The city magistrate Shailendra Mishra told the media, “Following an autopsy, the body was handed over to the family for last rites. However, in the evening, the situation got tense again as some protesters turned violent, forcing police to resort to lathi-charge and firing tear gas shells to control the situation.”

A member of the victim's family, however, told the media, “We were initially hesitant to carry out the last rites after sunset. But some cops were insisting on the same.”

The Senior Superintendent of Police, Ajaypal Sharma, has suspended Jhundwana police post's in-charge JS Tomar. He has also tasked Superintendent of Police (Crime) Ashok Kumar with an investigation into the role of the local police station's head officer as it has been said that Ajay had complained to the local police regarding these illicit activities prior to his murder.

It was also been reported by ABP News that this was the second murder in two days of a Bajrang Dal member in Uttar Pradesh.