MAN SHOT DEAD IN FRONT OF HIS WIFE AFTER LEAVING TEMPLE TO PRAY

A bridal boutique owner was gunned down at point blank in front of his mother and nephew, 100m away from the Srinivasa Perumal temple in Jalan Bandar 3, Puchong, on Friday. 

A. Ragen, 31, was leaving the temple with his family at 8pm when the assailant came from behind and opened fire four times. 

Ragen died on the spot after three of the four shots hit him in his leg, chest and head.

A family member, who declined to be named, said Ragen, who also ran a florist’s shop, had gone to the temple to pray for his wife, who was in hospital preparing for the birth of their first baby yesterday. 

“We are shocked over what happened. Ragen was a nice man and as far as we know, he had no enemies,” the relative   said. 

Ragen’s nephew, Kalidasan Paramasivam, 15, told reporters at the scene the gunman was dressed in black and had approached his uncle from behind. 

“As soon as my uncle collapsed, the shooter ran off to the main road,” he said. 

Serdang police chief ACP Razimi Ahmad said the motive of the shooting was under investigation. 

“We will need more time and will be recording statements to find out if the victims had any problems,” he said.

Razimi said people at the scene were unable to see or identify the assailant as the incident happened so quickly.

“We believe the assailant fled on foot towards the highway,” he said. 

Razimi said vehicles were not allowed inside the temple compound and patrons had to park their cars on the main road and walk to the temple. 

“We have checked the CCTV cameras in the area and none of them recorded the incident,” he said. 

Ragen’s body was sent to Serdang Hospital for a post-mortem.