By IANS,
Meerut : An under-19 cricketer Gangandeep was shot dead by unknown assailants in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, police said Saturday.
Gagandeep was shot when he tried to nab one of four youths who had attacked a man in Lal Kurti locality of Meerut late Friday.
“Four youths shot at a trader, Haji Shahnawaz, after a brawl and were escaping from there when Gagandeep, along with his friends, tried to nab them. One of the youths opened fire at Gagandeep. The cricketer was rushed to hospital where he succumbed,” Inspector Rakesh Kumar told IANS.
“Shahnawaz and another passerby received pellet injuries and were discharged after first aid. Shahnawaz runs a meat shop and had a dispute with some youths in the afternoon. The same people returned in the night to kill Shahnawaz. However, Gagandeep became a victim,” he said.
“Based on the information provided by Shahnawaz, we have gathered vital clues and hope to nab the culprits soon,” Kumar added.
Gagandeep, who was a member of the Indian under-19 cricket team, was in Meerut to play a match against Hyderabad’s team in the tournament for the ongoing C.K. Naidu trophy. He was going back to his hotel along with two other cricketers of the Uttar Pradesh team when the incident took place.
Gagandeep was a native of Kanpur and a member of the Uttar Pradesh under-19 cricket team.
Meerut is 450 km from state capital Lucknow and 65 km from Delhi.