Rahul Sharma, son of the owner of Ludhiana’s famous Pandit Ji Kulche Chole, was shot dead at a party. DCP Singh said, “It was a crime of passion committed during an argument when 8-10 men got together to celebrate a birthday.” Police registered a murder case against eight people today.
“It was a crime of passion committed during an argument when 8-10 men got together to celebrate a birthday,” said DCP Singh in a statement.
Friends rushed Rahul to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), where he succumbed to injuries during treatment. Sadar police station Inspector Jagdev Singh said that Rahul had two bullet wounds, according to the preliminary probe.
Based on a statement from Rahul’s brother-in-law Piyush Sharma, the police registered a murder case against eight people, including key suspects Paramraj and Gagandeep. The police have formed four teams to trace and arrest the accused.
Rahul Sharma helped expand family business
Rahul was actively involved in managing and expanding his family’s long-standing street food business. ‘Pandit ji Kulche Chole’ on Cemetery Road is a local favourite known for its onion-and-garlic-free recipe served with homemade chole and tangy tamarind chutney. The family migrated to Punjab from Himachal Pradesh in the 1950s and started small, with Kuldeep Sharma sitting under a tree with an iron container before opening a permanent shop nearby.
“In Ludhiana, they started selling their garlic-and-onion-free kulche chole. The taste clicked with the city residents, and there was no looking back,” said Rahul’s friend Sahil Sahi.
“Rahul used to help his father with the eatery business. He helped in expanding the business and got a shop, even though his father still loved to sit on the ground under the tree to sell his famous kulche chole,” added Sahi.
The family had also opened another eatery, ‘Pandit ji De Kulche Chane-Cemetery Road Wale’, on College Road which Rahul used to manage.
Rahul is survived by his parents, his wife, and a married sister. “The family is devastated now,” said Sahi.