GOHANA — Assailants ambushed and shot dead real estate dealer Bijender Pehal outside his commercial office on Rohtak Road on Friday evening, pumping four bullets into him before fleeing into the night.
Police recovered 13 empty cartridges scattered across the tarmac. The attack was swift. Pehal, who operated Shivam Properties, had just locked his office doors and stepped toward his parked vehicle when the waiting gunmen unleashed a rapid barrage of gunfire. He collapsed on the spot.
Pehal, a native of Ghumar village in the Ganaur administrative area, had resided in Adarsh Nagar in Gohana for years while expanding his local property brokerage. The evening gunshots triggered panic across the commercial strip.
Police Commissioner Mamta Singh arrived at the murder scene alongside specialized tactical units. Forensic experts cordoned off the perimeter, tagging shell casings and dusting Pehal's vehicle for latent fingerprints. Patrol units dispatched the victim's body to Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College in Khanpur for a post-mortem examination.
Hours after the shooting, an individual identifying himself as Virender Charan published a Facebook post claiming responsibility for Pehal's execution. Charan claimed direct ties to the criminal network operated by Rohit Godara and Arvind Gilli-Rana. He characterized the homicide as retribution for a 2021 assault against an associate named Rampal Baroda, claiming Pehal had targeted Baroda and attacked him a second time following his discharge from medical care. Charan threatened several others with identical retaliation.
Haryana Police urged caution regarding the online confession. Investigators have not authenticated the Facebook account, nor have they verified any operational gang connection.
The motive behind the murder and the attackers' identities are yet to be ascertained. Multiple police teams have been formed to identify and arrest the accused, and efforts are underway to crack the case.
Rajiv Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police
Teams from the Haryana Special Task Force (STF), the Crime Branch, and the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) are now reviewing closed-circuit surveillance footage along Rohtak Road and exit highways leading out of Sonipat district.
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Victim | Bijender Pehal (Proprietor, Shivam Properties) |
| Crime Location | Rohtak Road, Gohana, Haryana |
| Ballistic Evidence | 13 empty cartridges recovered from scene |
| Fatal Injuries | Four bullet entry wounds |
| Social Media Claim | Virender Charan (Rohit Godara–Arvind Gilli syndicate) |
| Investigating Divisions | STF, Crime Branch, CIA, Gohana Police |
Investigators await the formal post-mortem findings from the Khanpur medical board while digital forensics specialists track the internet protocol address linked to Charan's social media threats.
| Medical Facility |
| Bhagat Phool Singh Govt Medical College, Khanpur |