Meerut: Cricketer Gagandeep Singh shot dead

Cricketer Gagandeep Singh, who represented India in an under-19 series in Australia, was shot dead after being caught in a row between a shopkeeper and a customer in Meerut, police said on Saturday. Singh was in the city to play the G K Naidu tournament.

The alleged assailant Rahul has been arrested and the weapon used in the crime, a .32 bore revolver, recovered from him, Inspector General of Police Javed Akhtar said.

Police are searching for two other persons involved in the crime.

The incident occurred around 1130 pm Friday when the cricketer along with his friend was standing outside a shop selling 'kebabs'.

Police said a man got out of the car and demanded that he be served kebabs. When the shopkeeper Shahnawaz asked him to wait, he started abusing him.

Another man, whose face was covered, then came out of the car and started firing in which Gagandeep and the shopkeeper were killed, police said.

Residents of the area rushed the seriously injured Gagandeep and Shahnawaz to a hospital where they were declared brought dead. Another man identified as Sharif was injured in the incident.

The cricketer's uncle Mahendra Singh said, "Gagandeep had come to the city on October 6. He has been playing cricket since he was 10. He has played under-15, under-19 and now he was playing under-22".

Head of the Meerut Cricket Association Yudhveer Singh said, "Singh had just come from Australia after playing in under-19 for India. We have lost a budding star".