By Sagaya Fernando | April 21, 2026
New Delhi, INDIA: A late-night dispute over parking space in East Delhi’s Preet Vihar turned fatal in the early hours of Monday April 20 when a 34-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by a neighbour during an argument.
The accused, identified as Gaurav Sharma, a property dealer and import-export businessman, was arrested nearly 12 hours after the incident from Model Town, police said.
The victim, Pankaj Nayyar, had rushed from Noida to help his elder brother settle a dispute over parking in their residential complex. He was allegedly shot in the chest during a confrontation outside A-144, Preet Vihar.
According to police, the incident began around 9 pm on Sunday April 19 when Paras Nayyar parked his Maruti Baleno outside his residential building and went out for dinner.
Soon after, Sharma arrived in his BMW and found the Baleno blocking the entrance to the building. He called Paras and asked him to move the vehicle.
Paras reportedly told Sharma that he could not return immediately and instead offered him his designated parking space in an adjacent building, A-145, where he owns a plot. Sharma then parked his BMW there.
However, tensions escalated later in the night.
When Paras returned home, he allegedly parked his Baleno in Sharma’s designated parking slot at A-144. Around midnight, Sharma’s son Siddharth returned in the family’s Toyota Fortuner and again found the parking area occupied.
Police said Sharma once again called Paras and demanded that he remove the Baleno. Paras allegedly argued that every family in the complex was entitled to only one parking slot and reminded Sharma that he had already allowed him to use his space in the adjacent building.
The disagreement soon intensified. Paras then contacted his younger brother, Pankaj Nayyar, who lived in Noida with his wife and child. Pankaj’s wife is pregnant with their second child.
Police said Pankaj allegedly told Sharma over the phone to meet him in Noida if he had any issue.
Around 12.30 am, Pankaj reached his brother’s residence in Preet Vihar. By then, family members and neighbours had intervened and temporarily calmed the situation.
However, around 2 am, the dispute flared up again.
Police said Sharma, who was allegedly intoxicated, arrived at A-144 in the Toyota Fortuner along with his two friends, his juvenile son, and Siddharth. He allegedly began abusing Paras and Pankaj, who came downstairs to confront him.
During the heated exchange, Sharma allegedly pulled out a pistol and shot Pankaj in the chest.
Pankaj was immediately rushed to Malik Radix Health Care Hospital in Nirman Vihar, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Police said two PCR calls were received at 2.22 am and 2.26 am reporting a quarrel and firing incident at the residential complex.
After the shooting, Sharma and the others accompanying him fled from the spot.
Later in the day, acting on CCTV footage and local intelligence inputs, police arrested Sharma from Model Town.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajiv Kumar said the accused was apprehended within hours of the murder.
Police have registered an FIR at Preet Vihar police station under Sections 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.
Investigators are also searching for the remaining accused who were present during the incident.
Police said Sharma owns multiple properties in Shakarpur, which he has rented out, and had shifted to Preet Vihar around three months ago.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the residential complex.
On Monday morning, relatives and neighbours gathered at the building where the shooting took place. Sharma’s Toyota Fortuner was still parked at the entrance of the complex.
Family members of the victim alleged that Sharma frequently insisted on parking both his luxury vehicles despite having only one allotted parking slot.
Pankaj’s father, Jeevan, said the family had never imagined that a parking dispute would cost his son his life.
Inside the grieving family’s home, Pankaj’s wife Divya said her husband had left home around midnight only to help resolve an argument between his brother and a neighbour.
“He told me he was going to sort out an issue and would return soon. He never came back,” she said.
The murder comes just days after a father and son were stabbed to death in South Delhi’s CR Park over a similar parking dispute, raising fresh concerns over violent confrontations in the national capital over seemingly minor issues.
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