GHAZIABAD: A security guard at a Punjab & Sind Bank branch in Loni Border allegedly shot dead the bank manager inside his cabin on Monday afternoon following a dispute over leave and salary deductions.
The victim, Abhishek Kumar (36), was in his cabin at the Balram Nagar Colony branch when the accused, Ravindra Hudda (45), returned with a licensed firearm after a heated argument and opened fire around 1.30pm. Kumar, a resident of Patna, was rushed to GTB Hospital in Delhi, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Hudda, a Baghpat resident and former Army personnel who retired in 2018, had been working as a guard at the branch for the past three months. Police said he had not reported for duty earlier that day, prompting Kumar to call him repeatedly. The conversation escalated into an argument.
Around 1.15pm, Hudda arrived at the bank on a motorcycle with an associate, identified as Shishpal Dheemer, and went directly to the manager’s cabin. “They argued again inside the cabin. Hudda then said he did not want to continue working, went to another room, retrieved his licensed gun, returned and shot the manager while he was seated,” a police officer said.
At the time of the incident, more than 10 customers and seven employees were present in the branch. CCTV footage shows Hudda, wearing a yellow T-shirt, leaving the premises with the weapon after the shooting, while his associate remained outside the cabin.
Bank staff told police that Hudda frequently skipped duty without informing superiors and would react aggressively when questioned. During interrogation, he claimed he was upset over Kumar’s behaviour, alleging that the manager scolded him for taking leave and deducted between Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000 from his monthly salary of Rs 12,000.
Approximately three hours after the incident, police found Hudda drinking outside a liquor shop in the Loni Border area and arrested him. The firearm and motorcycle used in the crime were seized.
An FIR has been registered against the accused under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
