Scene outside the PM's residence moments after the incident. Photo: V.V.Krishnan

NEW DELHI: It was high drama with a bizarre touch outside the Prime Minister's 7 Race Course Road residence here on Thursday when a 42-year-old property dealer allegedly shot himself inside his car in an apparent suicide bid. The police suspect that he took the extreme step because of his wife's alleged relationship with another person.

It all happened around 2-30 p.m. when a Maruti Zen car came to a halt near Jaipur Polo Ground opposite the Prime Minister's residence and a profusely bleeding man emerged from it. He locked up the car, walked up to a young man standing nearby and asked him to call up the police. He then collapsed on the footpath.

The young man raised an alarm, hearing which security personnel on duty rushed to the spot. A Police Control Room van arrived and rushed the injured to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The police recovered a pistol and some cash from the car and a two-page suicide note from the man, later identified as Kishori Lal Sehgal. In the suicide note, Kishori Lal alleged that his wife Reena was having an illicit relationship with Jitender Singh Ahluwalia alias Jeetu, which led to a discord between the couple. He also alleged that Ahluwalia and his wife had been harassing him because of which he suffered financial losses.

At a press conference later, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Anand Mohan said Kishori Lal's wife had lodged a complaint of harassment against him recently. The matter came up for hearing before the Crime Against Women Cell and Kishori Lal was asked to come to its Nanakpura office around 10-15 a.m. on Thursday. He reached there for the counselling session but no compromise could be reached between him and his wife. He then went to Nehru Park, wrote the suicide note and went towards the Prime Minister's residence, where he stopped the vehicle and allegedly shot himself in the chest.

Mr. Mohan said no one heard the gunshot as the car's windows were closed and there was heavy traffic on the road. Kishori Lal's brother Govind alleged that Ahluwalia had been encouraging Reena to harass him. "On several occasions he told me that Ahluwalia had threatened to kill him. Today again I spoke with him on the phone and he sounded disturbed," alleged Govind.The police have registered a case of attempted suicide and are trying to verify whether the pistol used was a licensed one. Kishori Lal's condition is stated to be stable.

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