Workers shoot contractor with country-made pistol

A tiles contractor was grievously injured when two of his workers fired at him from a country-made pistol and stabbed him multiple times on Monday. Financial dispute is suspected to be the motive for the attack.

Binod, 30, from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was shot in the chest, head and back by two of his workers, Mukesh and Manish. Binod had gone to Mukesh’s house at Shanthi Layout, 6th Cross, Ramamurthy Nagar, just a stone’s throw away from his own home, around 1.30 pm. Manish was also present there. Binod wanted to discuss some work-related issues as well as money matters with the duo.

But as soon as he entered the house, Mukesh bolted the door from inside. The duo then attacked him with a knife and opened four rounds of fire. Three bullets hit Binod while the fourth one missed the target and hit the floor. Presuming him dead, Mukesh and Manish escaped, said N Satheesh Kumar, DCP (East).

A heavily bleeding Binod managed to walk out of the house and reach the road. Local residents rushed to his rescue and took him to hospital in an auto-rickshaw. He was later shifted to Manipal Hospitals, Kumar added.

Mohar Singh, a relative of Binod, told Deccan Herald that he had seen Binod having tea with Mukesh and Manish at a bakery a while before the attack. He suspected financial dispute to be the motive.

Binod came down to Bengaluru about 10 years ago and lives with wife and three children. He would get contract to lay tiles in homes and office establishments. He had employed some people to lay tiles and would often contract Mukesh and Manish.
The police, after questioning some workers, concluded that it was Manish who brought the weapon. Mukesh had gone to his hometown of Gwalior three months ago and returned just a few weeks ago. He brought Manish along.

A police officer said they were trying to trace the source of the pistol and suspected that it was bought in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. “We don’t know why they brought the weapon here. Binod is unable to talk. A clearer picture will emerge once he recovers and starts talking,” the officer added.