Police Arrest Neighbour in Faridabad Parking-Dispute Killing

Police arrested Mohan Sharma at DLF Chowk in Ballabgarh on Saturday, a day after he allegedly fired about 15 rounds at neighbour Paramjeet Dhankhar. Nine bullets hit Dhankhar, police said. The 42-year-old died outside his home in Faridabad’s Sector 21C, turning a visit for Diwali and a family wedding into a tragedy. ^1,4

The arrest followed a Friday-night argument in the parking area of building number 641. Dhankhar had returned from the gym and asked Sharma to move a car from his family’s assigned space, police said. Sharma, who lived on the third floor while Dhankhar’s family lived on the first, allegedly opened fire with a licensed pistol. Dhankhar’s son, Shaurya, alerted police. Some accounts say he took cover behind parked cars as Sharma also fired at him. ^6,8

The parking space was only part of a longer feud. Police say the families had clashed over parking and a dog defecating in the shared area, and had argued in the days before the shooting. Dhankhar’s family had reportedly raised objections and contacted police about the dispute, but it was settled at the time. The killing shows how a recurring dispute between neighbours turned deadly, with a licensed gun used in the confrontation. Police have not established that the earlier arguments alone caused the shooting. ^5,7,17

Dhankhar had come from Singapore on November 5 and was due to attend his nephew’s wedding on November 24. He had worked as a regional business head at Tech Mahindra and later as a senior vice-president at FPT Software. Police opened a case based on Shaurya’s complaint, which named Sharma and four relatives. Sharma is being questioned, and police say they will keep gathering evidence as the investigation continues. ^1,5