Dharamshala, Nov. 21 -- A 35-year old youth congress leader was shot dead and two others were injured in Una's Lal Singhi area after two groups confronted each other outside a hotel, police said on Thursday. The incident occurred late on Wednesday night when members of both groups, having an old rivalry, were partying at hotel Raizada resorts, said police. The deceased, identified as Ashu Puri, who has his mining business, from Santokhgarh in Una, died on the spot, while the injured were referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh, for treatment. Police officials said that people from both the groups knew each other and the incident happened after an argument broke out and one person opened fire, killing Ashu Puri on the spot. Two others were injured in a brawl during the incident. According to the police, both the parties were in the hotel for different events. After the celebrations, Ashu and his friends returned to the parking lot. At the same time, another group, including Gurjeet Mann and his associates Purjinder and Parminder, arrived in the parking area and started abusing them. When Ashu confronted them, they assaulted him. The trio then gathered near their vehicle when Parminder allegedly shot Ashu in the head, killing him on the spot. Meanwhile, Parminder continued firing, the police added. Police said a case has been registered against the accused, Gurjeet Mann, former president of the Una Block Youth Congress, Purjinder, and Parminder, under various sections of the BNS and the Arms Act. Purjinder Singh and Parminder were also seriously injured and are undergoing treatment at PGI, Chandigarh. Una superintendent of police Amit Yadav said that police received the information at around 12 am and immediately swung into action. "We have identified eight people who were present at the spot from the group that opened fire, and six of them are currently in custody while two are in PGIMER. We will further investigate and examine CCTV footage to determine the role of each individual present at the spot." Bullet casings and other evidence have been recovered from the scene, said police. According to data provided by the Himachal Police, 62 murder cases have been registered till September 30 in the state, including seven, in Una district. In 2024, the number of such cases registered was 83 and prior to that 92 murder cases were registered in the state in 2023. In wake of the recent firing incident outside a hotel in Una district, deputy commissioner (DC) Jatin Lal chaired a meeting on Thursday to review the law and order situation. During the meeting, he issued strict instructions to all concerned departments to maintain law and order in the district. Jatin said that all weapon licences issued so far in the district will be reviewed. "Each police station in-charge will submit a report from their area. In cases where individuals involved in land disputes or other complaints are found to have weapon licenses, their licenses will be immediately suspended and the weapons confiscated," he said. He said that strict punitive action will also be taken against those who display weapons on social media or brandish weapons in public. The DC also directed stricter monitoring of illegal mining activities in the district. He said checkpoints would be established on tipper routes and surveillance would be strengthened through CCTV cameras. Leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur, said, "The state of the law and order in the present government of the Congress Himachal is a matter of concern for all of us. Every day we hear that somewhere a bullet was fired." "The current government of Himachal doesn't care about loss of lives, all they want is power. The firing during birthday celebration in Una clearly shows the state of law and order in Himachal," he added....