This is the third mystery death in the family in the past decade-and-half, the police said. The deceased Jai Bhagwan Gupta’s first wife Pushpa Gupta burnt to death in the kitchen in 1993 and his elder son, Kamesh Gupta’s charred body was found in his car in Solan (Himachal Pradesh) in 1998. The 24-year-old was kidnapped .

Police said that the motive behind the incident is not known since Gupta had no financial dispute with anyone; his business, too, was in good shape. He also shared a good relationship with his second wife Geeta and son Nikesh, the cops said.

Gupta’s five brothers run their own businesses.

Gupta, who sold cumin seeds on wholesale from Garodia Market in Khari Baoli, Old Delhi, lived C-12 Priyadarshini Vihar, Model Town, with wife and son.

According to the police, Gupta left for morning walk around 6.30 am. He was shot near a park next to DDA market New Gupta Colony, 100 meters from his house, by unknown assailants. The family was informed by the newspaper hawker about the incident. The PCR was called and Gupta was rushed to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital where he was declared brought dead. He had received one bullet injury on the left side of his chest. Son Nikesh said, “My father was hit by a car on Wednesday as if somebody tried to kill him. But the car was never traced.”

The family has property worth crores. Nikesh helped his father in his business after his elder brother’s death.

The victim’s elder brother Shri Bhagwan Gupta said, when asked about any rivalry or financial dispute, “We don’t have any knowledge about anything like that.” When asked about his brother’s first wife’s death and son’s death, Bhagwan said, “She charred to death in flames in the kitchen and Kamesh had gone to his in-laws place in Roop Nagar, when he died in 1998. We don’t know how his body was found in Solan.” He also said the family had not received any ransom call.

Police said that some family provocations could be behind the attack. DCP Manish Agrawal, North West Delhi, said, “It is a very suspicious case. There is no immediate motive we have come across but nothing can be ruled out. We will question the family members, relatives, friends and business partners”.