Just a day before his birthday, 29-year-old Ajit Kumar Tripathi was shot dead outside his flat in Delhi’s Burari area, leaving his family in shock and grief. The incident occurred on Tuesday night at a first-floor flat in Hoovers Apartment. Police received a PCR call around 10 PM and rushed to the scene, where they found Ajit with gunshot wounds. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused, 33-year-old Arun Dedha from Gamri in northeast Delhi, had a heated argument with Ajit shortly before the fatal shooting. “The verbal spat escalated into a physical confrontation, and Dedha opened fire,” an officer said, adding that multiple police teams have been formed to nab the accused. However, Ajit’s family believes this was no random altercation but a planned hit linked to a long-standing business and personal feud with a former friend, Bobby Upadhyay. “Ajit had just returned from work and was chatting with two of his friends about his birthday party. Suddenly, someone began abusing him,” said Kiran Tripathi, Ajit’s sister. The sister added that when he confronted the person, a fight broke out, and he was shot. “We later learned that the attacker was sent by Bobby Upadhyay, who used to be his best friend but was turned against him by his family,” she said. Ajit’s mother alleged that her son had been harassed for years due to a business deal that had gone wrong. Bobby didn’t have a single rupee back then. My son invested in a business with him, and Bobby took all the money. After that, he mentally tortured Ajit every day,” the deceased’s mother said. His father alleged that Bobby, now a wealthy man with properties worth Rs 60 crore, built his empire through illegal activities. “He ruined my son’s life. I request Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to take this matter seriously and ensure that the person responsible is given the strictest punishment even the death penalty.” Police said they are looking into all possible angles, including personal rivalry and financial disputes. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.