Dehradun, March 30 (IANS) A retired Army officer, Brigadier V.K. Joshi, was shot dead on Monday in the Rajpur area of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, after being hit by a stray bullet during a firing incident, police said.

According to officials, the incident occurred around 7 a.m. following an argument between occupants of two vehicles travelling in the area. The situation escalated into a firing exchange. Joshi, who was on a morning walk at the time, was caught in the crossfire and suffered critical injuries.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Dehradun SP City Pramod Kumar said, “At around 7 a.m., we received information through the control room about a dispute in Johari village related to overtaking between two vehicles, during which firing took place. One person was injured in the incident and taken to the hospital. We have now been informed that he has died during treatment.”

He further added, “The area has been cordoned off, and the vehicle involved, along with the individuals present in it, is under investigation. Arrests in the case will be made soon.”

Police officials have launched an extensive search operation and set up blockades across multiple police station jurisdictions, including rural areas, to trace those involved. Efforts are also underway to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the firing.

Authorities stated that further details would emerge as the investigation progresses.

In a separate incident earlier this year, on January 11, another retired Army officer lost his life in a road accident in Haryana’s Panchkula. Lieutenant General Kulwant Singh Mann, aged around 85, was hit by an unidentified vehicle while he was out on a morning walk near his residence.

He was taken to the Army’s Command Hospital in Chandimandir but later died due to his injuries. Police had registered a case against the unidentified driver and were examining CCTV footage from nearby areas, as the accident site lacked camera coverage.

--IANS

jk/dpb