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हिन्दी 
A 25-year-old Army jawan was shot dead near his house in Saharanpur district, just two days after testifying in court in a murder case. The body of Vikrant Gurjar, posted in Jammu and on leave, was found riddled with bullets on Thursday morning, triggering tension in his native village of Mundikhedi under Rampur Maniharan police limits.
According to police, Vikrant had stepped out for a walk on Wednesday night around 8:30 pm but never returned. His phone was found switched off, and despite a night-long search by family members, his whereabouts remained unknown. The following day, villagers discovered his body around 300 metres from his house, with bullet wounds—one to the head and another to the chest.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rohit Sajwan visited the crime scene and confirmed that a forensic team had been deployed. The body was sent for post-mortem examination.
Vikrant was the key eyewitness in the 2021 murder case of his cousin Rajat, who was allegedly stabbed to death by local resident Devendra Singh and his associates. Just two days before his murder, Vikrant had appeared in court as the final witness in the case. His family suspects that his killing is directly linked to his testimony.
“Devendra had been pressuring my brother not to testify. He even offered him ₹4 lakh, but Vikrant refused,” said Harsh, Vikrant’s younger brother. Vikrant’s mother also alleged that her son had been facing threats from the accused. “My son stood for truth. They killed him for that,” she said.
As per the family’s complaint in 2021, five individuals—Devendra, Kapil, Dinesh, Rocky, and an unidentified man—were involved in Rajat’s killing. Vikrant had intervened during the assault, forcing the attackers to flee. While all five were arrested, they were later released on bail. One of them, Rocky, allegedly died by suicide after being granted bail. Devendra was named the prime accused in the case.
Following Vikrant’s murder, local police detained several individuals named in the family’s statement. “They are being interrogated, and we are working on all leads,” SSP Sajwan said.
The killing has sparked unrest in Mundikhedi village. Additional police forces have been deployed to prevent any flare-ups. The family of the accused has reportedly left the village following the incident.
Vikrant joined the Army in 2019 and was described as courageous and responsible by villagers. His father, Rajendra, is mentally unwell. Vikrant is survived by his mother, younger brother, and two unmarried sisters.
