School manager shot dead over property dispute

GHAZIABAD - A school manager was shot dead over a property dispute in the Loni area of Uttar Pradesh’ Ghaziabad district, police said Saturday. Five people have been arrested.

According to Superintendent of Police (City) A.K. Vijaita, the manager of Gyan Ganga Public School Manoj Samania, originally a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan, was shot dead by goons sent by a property dealer.

The incident occurred around 11 p.m. Friday night, he said.

“Five accused, out of eight named in the police complaint, have been arrested,” Vijaita said.

“Manoj Samania had gone to a plot, allegedly belonging to his family, in the Sangam Vihar area where the goons shot him dead,” Vijaita said.

“Samania’s family claimed that they had the power of attorney of the plot that was sent to them by their distant relatives, who got settled in Kenya, through the embassy. The relatives migrated to Kenya after buying the plot of 850 square yard here in Loni, whose present value is over Rs.1.50 crore,” he said.

“Vijay Dalu, a local property dealer, said the plot belonged to them as he had the power of attorney documents prepared in Punjab,” he said, pointing to the dispute.

“The case is also pending in court,” he said.

Dalu had further leased the plot to four men. A few months back, Dalu and his men fired on Samania and his family members.

After Samania and his mother Shakuntala met police officers a few months back, Dalu was arrested and sent to jail.

On Friday night, two men from Jawli village - Praveen and Puneet - instigated by Vijay Dalu went to the plot in question and shot dead Samania, police said.

“Eight men have been named in the first information report by the family members of Samania, including Praveen and Puneet, who had shot him. Vijay Dalu has also been booked for conspiring to the murder,” Vijaita said.