A 39-year-old man was shot dead and his friend injured after a minor altercation near the Clock Tower in the area under the Kotwali police station jurisdiction in Ludhiana around midnight, police said on Tuesday.The deceased was identified as Harminder Singh alias Sonu, a resident of Ashok Nagar, Ludhiana, while his friend Sanju suffered a bullet injury to his arm and was undergoing treatment at a hospital.Sonu was returning home after attending a birthday party. When he reached the local bus stand near the Clock Tower, he got into an argument with some unknown persons. One of the accused allegedly took out a weapon and started firing. The bullets hit Sonu, who was taken to hospital in a critical condition, where doctors declared him dead.Sonu’s wife, Jyoti, said Sonu left home around 9 pm on Monday night with his friend Sanju, telling the family that they were going to another friend’s birthday party.Around 1 am, the family received a phone call informing them that Sonu had been shot near the Clock Tower. They rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.According to preliminary information, a minor dispute broke out between Sonu and his friend Sanju on one side and some youths on the other over giving way to a vehicle. The argument quickly took a violent turn. In a fit of rage, the assailants allegedly pulled out their weapons, reportedly illegal, and opened fire on Sonu and Sanju.One bullet struck Sonu in the throat, while another hit Sanju in the arm. After committing the crime, the attackers fled the spot in their car.Sonu was married and is survived by his wife Jyoti and two young sons, the elder aged eight years and the younger one year and nine months.Police officials said footage from all CCTV cameras installed at the spot and on surrounding roads was being examined in detail to trace the attackers’ vehicle number and identify the accused.The body was sent to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination. A case under the relevant sections of the murder and Arms Act was registered against the accused, and efforts were underway to apprehend them, they added.