3 min readDehradunMar 31, 2026 05:32 AM ISTThe occupants of the car from which the shot was fired later assaulted those in the car they were chasing. (Source: Express Photo)The shootout in Dehradun on Monday, during which a stray bullet struck and killed a retired Brigadier, was the result of a prior dispute between two groups and not due to road rage, police said. Four men have been arrested in connection with the case.Brigadier Mukesh Kumar Joshi (retired), 74, was out for a morning walk when a stray bullet from the shootout struck him.Police said the accused had attempted to portray the firing incident as a case of road rage, but that it actually stemmed from a prior dispute. “The previous night, a conflict had broken out between a group of youths and bar staff over reducing the bill at a bar. During this altercation, bar staff damaged the rear windshield of the other party’s Scorpio vehicle,” said Senior Superintendent of Police, Parmendra Dobhal.The following morning, when the bar staff were seen travelling in a Fortuner vehicle, the other group chased them in their car. During the attempt to intercept the vehicle, both sides engaged in firing, Dobhal said.Read | ‘Thought he was having a heart attack’: Friend recalls moment retired Brigadier was hit by stray bullet in DehradunThe bar where the initial altercation took place has been shut and sealed, and a report has been sent for the cancellation of its licence, the SSP said.After the firing, the car in which the bar staff were travelling lost control and crashed into a tree near a government primary school. The group of youths chasing them then assaulted the bar staff. Two people were injured and subsequently taken to the hospital by their companions. The group of youths fled the scene, police said.The four people arrested by police were Aditya Chaudhary, who was in the Scorpio; Rohit Kumar and Mohammad Akhlaq, who were in the Fortuner; and the owner of the bar, Sandeep Kumar. Police are continuing efforts to identify and arrest the remaining individuals who were in the Scorpio vehicle.Story continues below this adSSP Dobhal said that during questioning, Rohit Kumar and Mohammad Akhlaq initially claimed it was a road rage incident. However, upon further interrogation, they revealed the prior bar dispute.After the Fortuner crashed near Johri village, the occupants had fled into the forest, abandoning their weapons. They later misled the police by calling it a road rage incident, officers alleged.Based on their statements, police recovered two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from nearby bushes.Aiswarya Raj is a Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, covering Uttarakhand. She brings sound journalistic experience to her role, having started her career at the organisation as a sub-editor with the Delhi city team. She subsequently developed her reporting expertise by covering Gurugram and its neighbouring districts before transitioning to her current role as a resident correspondent in Dehradun. She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and the University of Kerala. She has reported on the state politics, governance, environment and wildlife, and gender. Aiswarya has undertaken investigations using the Right to Information Act on law enforcement, public policy and procurement rules in Uttarakhand. She has also attempted narrative journalism on socio-economic matters affecting local communities. This specific, sustained focus on critical regional news provides the necessary foundation for high trustworthiness and authoritativeness on topics concerning Uttarakhand. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:DehradunUttarakhand PoliceAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Mar 30: Latest NewsIPL 2026: Why can’t Cameron Green bowl yet? Ask Cricket Australia, says KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane after MI defeatKharat remand extended, SIT digs into coded contacts, possible accomplicesSassoon hospital doctors successfully remove metal rod pierced through 21-yr-old’s legCongress block president murdered in Punjab’s Ludhiana; “AAP govt sleeping,” says WarringRohit Sharma’s quickest IPL half century, Ryan Rickelton’s 81 help Mumbai Indians break 13-year opening match hoodoo, defeat KKR by 6 wicketsLive BlogDubai, UAE News Live Updates: Kuwait issues oil spill warning after tanker attacked in Dubai port25 seconds agoIran vs US-Israel War News LIVE Updates: India-bound Iranian aircraft carrying medical aid hit by US at Mashhad airport, report6 minutes agoRBSE Rajasthan Board 12th Result 2026 Live Updates: Arts, Science, and Commerce result to be declared on March 3117 minutes agoRajasthan Board RBSE 12th Result 2026 LIVE Updates: Result to be out on March 31 at 10 am, confirms Board27 minutes agoCBSE CTET Result 2026 Live Updates: Scorecards out, here’s how to download9 hours ago