Uttarakhand: Businessman shot dead in Dehradun; police probe 'rivalry' angle

A businessman was allegedly shot dead by unknown assailants near Silver City Cinema in Dehradun city early Friday morning, police said. This marks the second murder in the city within the last 48 hours and the third in 11 days. Dehradun Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar informed that the incident occurred around 10.15 am when Vikram Sharma (50) was leaving a gym. He added that Sharma owned a stone crusher business in Udham Singh Nagar district. Before leaving the gym, Sharma contacted his close friend Saurabh Singh, asking him to meet at the location. Singh told PTI, ''Vikram had already been murdered by the time I arrived.'' Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh noted that preliminary investigations revealed over 50 cases registered against Sharma in various states. It is suspected that a rivalry may be the motive behind his murder, potentially linked to some cases in Jharkhand, the SSP added. The police are examining all angles of the case and reviewing Sharma's records. According to their findings, he conducted business not only in Uttarakhand but also in Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Although Sharma's family resides in Dehradun, he was originally from Kashipur, Uttarakhand. The string of three murders in Dehradun over the past two weeks has created an atmosphere of fear and unease among residents. On Wednesday, a gas agency owner was shot dead in broad daylight outside the Tibetan Market, located in the city centre. Additionally, on February 2, a 22-year-old woman was murdered, her throat slit with a sharp weapon, police said.