Gurugram-based project consultant shot dead in Jaipur’s Vaishali Nagar | Jaipur News
Rajinder Kumar Chawla crumpled to the ground underneath a tree, barely 10 metres away from the NHAI’s office after the shooting. The two armed assailants then scurried off into different residential localities.
According to police, the firing took place shortly after 2.40pm. Chawla had just concluded his meeting with NHAI officials and stepped out of the office, located in D-148 behind a power sub-station when the two accused in denim jeans and t-shirts walked up to him and fired a single shot at his temple.
Police recovered a brass shell from near Chawla’s body. Blood was streaming from his head and he died in SMS Hospital without regaining consciousness. “The gunmen fired a single shot from close to the victim’s forehead,” said DCP (crime) Digant Anand.
Rajinder Kumar Chawla
The CCTV footage that emerged after the incident showed the accused running away in different directions. Vaishali Nagar ACP Rai Singh Beniwal said the accused may have met each other at some other location after the killing.
Vaishali Nagar police station SHO Anil Kumar Jaimain said the motive of the crime could not be determined. Police, however, also suspect the gunmen were hired to carry out the killing.
“They knew the moment Chawla would step out of the building after completing the meeting. They had parked their vehicles elsewhere and walked into the locality to execute the murder,” an officer said.
A lady ironing clothes in a shack near the office claimed she did not see anyone. Though the investigators questioned her thoroughly, she continued to say that she did not witness any murder.
Police said that Chawla had come to Jaipur from Gurugram with two other colleagues. The meeting with NHAI officials began sometime after 12.30pm and continued for a long time.
Hari Singh Gila, an NHAI official, said that Chawla regularly visited the office for various meetings related to NHAI projects. According to him, a project for the construction of 14-foot over bridges on Jaipur-Gurugram is underway. Chawla was reportedly one of the consultants involved in the big project which is estimated to cost Rs 35 crore.
Police said that Chawla had retired in 2015 from the public works department (PWD) in Haryana. He was working as a consultant after his retirement. He had come to Jaipur at least thrice before.
Till dusk, a team of crime branch sleuths was going door-to-door to find some clues about the suspects. There are three abandoned houses outside the NHAI office with their gates locked.
“We have informed the victim’s wife about the incident. The body has been moved to the mortuary. We are waiting for the family to come so that a post-mortem can be conducted,” an officer said.
