New Delhi, 3 Oct

A doctor was shot dead inside a nursing home in southeast Delhi's Kalindi Kunj area in the early morning hours, police said on Thursday.

The accused, both juveniles, came for treatment and shot Javed Akhtar, a Unani practitioner (BUMS), around 1.45am, they said.

According to a police officer, Akhtar was found in a chair oozing blood from the head inside the three-bed Nima Hospital located in a narrow lane of Khadda Colonyof the area.

An inquiry revealed the possible involvement of two boys, aged about 16, who had come to the hospital around 1 am for dressing, the officer said. One of them had a bandaged toe and had been to the hospital also the day before, it was revealed, the officer said.

After dressing, the two boys went inside Akhtar's cabin. Some time later, night nursing staff Gajala Parveen and Mohammad Kamil heard a gunshot. Parveen rushed inside the cabin and found Akhtar sitting still in a pool of blood.

Prima facie, it seems to be an instance of targeted killing, unprovoked as it was and involved recce, the officer said.

Abid, an employee at the nursing home, said Akhar had been working there for past two years. His duty began at 8pm on Wednesday.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) SK Jain said it was a targeted killing executed by two suspects, who have been identified. They met the compounder for dressing and later shot the Unani practitioner in his cabin.

"We have formed six teams and collected the CCTV footage from inside and around the nursing home," Jain said. "Akhtar was in the night shift. It is a suspected case of personal enmity but the actual cause will only be ascertained when the two boys are caught," Jain added.