Rohtak, Haryana – A violent gang war erupted at a liquor vend in Rohtak on Friday evening, leaving one person dead and four others injured. The incident occurred in Ritoli village, where more than 30 rounds were fired between two rival gangs.

The deceased has been identified as Deepanshu, an associate of the notorious criminal Himanshu Bhau. Rohit alias Rasko, another member of the Bhau gang, sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Jhajjar. From the opposing side, Deepak, linked to the Ankit alias Baba gang, was also injured and is being treated at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak.

According to Rohtak Superintendent of Police Surender Singh Bhoria, the clash began when assailants connected to the Himanshu Bhau gang arrived at the liquor vend owned by Sunny Ritolia, a rival, and opened fire. Deepak, a resident of Sundana village and an employee at the vend, was struck in the initial volley. Sunny and his associates retaliated, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.

Following the initial confrontation, two members of the Bhau gang sustained injuries and fled towards Jhajjar. Authorities have alerted the Jhajjar police to assist in apprehending the fleeing suspects.

Law enforcement teams, including forensic science laboratory personnel, have arrived at the scene to gather evidence. Preliminary investigations indicate that the attackers arrived in a Maruti Fronx car and initiated the shooting. Sunny and Deepak were in a Fortuner at the time of the attack, and Deepak sustained a stomach wound from the gunfire.

The incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Haryana in maintaining law and order, particularly concerning the influence of criminal gangs in the liquor trade. Haryana has been struggling to garner revenue from liquor-vend auctions as bidders dry up. A liquor contractor was killed in Kurukshetra earlier in June by gangsters, and there have been instances of indiscriminate firing at a liquor vend in Rohtak on May 26 where the assailants threatened the contractor not to participate in the bidding for allotment of liquor vends for 2025-27.

The police are investigating the case.