Two arrested in the killing of Gurgaon toll attendant, weapon still missing

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Three days after a young toll plaza attendant was shot dead over payment of Rs 27 fee, police have arrested the alleged assailant and his associate, whose image was caught by CCTV after he visited the site soon after the shooting.

Vijay Veer, 24, who allegedly fired at 22-year-old Umesh Kumar Pandey from point-blank range at Kherki Dhaula toll following an argument over paying the toll fee, and his friend Manjit have been arrested, police said.

They were today remanded in three-day police custody.

Gurgaon Police Commissioner S.S. Deswal said that Veer, a resident of village Kho near the toll plaza, was drunk and alone in the Bolero when he fired at Pandey. However, after the incident, Veer asked his colleague Manjit, 34, who runs a gymnasium in Kho village, to visit the site of the shooting to enquire about Pandey's fate as he was not aware that he had died on the spot.

When Manjit reached the spot and enquired about the incident, his image was captured on CCTV. Later when police scanned the CCTV footage minutely, they noticed Manjit and launched a search for him.

Manjit was arrested and he told the police about the involvement of Veer. The police have still not recovered the weapon used in the incident, the Commissioner told reporters.

The two were today produced before Judicial Magistrate Surya Chandrakant who granted the police three-day custody after they submitted that they have to recover the weapon used in the crime.

Police had recovered empty cartridges at the spot.

Deswal said there is a strong possiblity that a country-made revolver was used in the crime.

Also police said they were searching for a third person on the case but declined to elaborate.

The Bolero, owned by Veer's friend Ashok Kumar and which was allegedly used in the crime, has been seized by the police.

Pandey was shot dead on September 23 when he asked for the toll fee. The 'occupants' refused to pay and insisted that the car be allowed to go. When Pandey insisted on the payment, an occupant in the car took out a gun and fired at him.

The bullet pierced his neck, resulting in his death on the spot Meanwhile, the private concessionaire, DSC Limited, which manages the toll plaza, has announced a compensation of Rs five lakh which would be handed over to Pandey's family. An additional Rs three lakh of insurance money could be made available to the family at the earliest, the company spokesperson said.

The company is also considering the option of offering employment to the brother of the deceased if he is eligible and interested, he said.