Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

A 17-year-old Class 11 student, Naitik, was shot dead in Chandigarh’s Sector 22 after a minor allegedly chased the auto-rickshaw he was travelling in on a motorcycle and opened fire. The incident reportedly stemmed from an old rivalry linked to an assault and a video that went viral on social media.

According to police, the accused allegedly fired three rounds at the auto-rickshaw. One bullet hit the shoulder of the driver, Sikandar Paswan, while another struck Naitik in the chest. The student was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. His friend, who was also travelling in the auto, escaped unhurt.

Police took the accused into custody and recovered a .32-bore pistol from his possession. He was arrested after questioning.

Old rivalry and viral video

Naitik was a Class 11 student at SD School in Sector 32. He had earlier studied at St Joseph’s School, where he reportedly developed a rivalry with the accused. According to police, the two frequently exchanged abuses and posted videos of each other on social media. Naitik’s family had subsequently changed his school following the dispute.

Police are also investigating a possible dispute involving a female classmate.

According to police sources, Naitik and his friend allegedly confronted and assaulted Saurav in Sector 34 on Thursday evening. They reportedly recorded the incident and uploaded the video to Instagram. After the video went viral, Saurav allegedly called his friends and began chasing Naitik.

Around an hour later, Naitik was travelling with his friend in an auto-rickshaw from Sector 34 towards home when the accused allegedly pursued them on a motorcycle and opened fire near the Sanatan Dharma Temple in Sector 22.

Student ran towards temple after being shot

The auto-rickshaw driver, Sikandar Paswan, told police that the two boys had hired his vehicle in Sector 34. As they approached their destination, Naitik reportedly noticed youths on motorcycles and asked the driver to speed up. Gunshots were fired from behind moments later.

One bullet struck the driver’s shoulder before passing through the front windshield, shattering the glass. Another bullet hit Naitik in the chest.

After being shot, Naitik got out of the auto-rickshaw and ran towards the temple gate before reaching a nearby flower shop. The shopkeeper gave him water and helped arrange a taxi to take him to hospital. Despite medical treatment, the teenager could not be saved.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station-17, Sudesh Kumar, said the murder was allegedly committed over an old dispute. The minor accused has been arrested, police said.