A birthday party in Ludhiana’s Daad area turned bloody late on Wednesday night after a dispute among friends escalated into firing, leaving 34-year-old Rahul Sharma dead.He was hit by two bullets and was declared brought dead at DMC Hospital, officials said.The key accused, Akhil Joshi, was hosting the birthday party. Gagandeep and another person, identified as Param, along with some unidentified persons, allegedly attacked Rahul. The exact motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained.Rahul was the son of Kuldeep Sharma, a well-known vendor popularly known as ‘Pandit Chole Kulche’, who runs a stall on Cemetery Road in Ludhiana. Rahul was a resident of Rose Enclave, Civil Lines, Ludhiana.According to preliminary information, several friends had gathered at a house in the Daad locality for the birthday party when an argument broke out over an issue. The quarrel quickly escalated, and a pistol was allegedly pulled out before shots were fired.The incident triggered panic in the area. According to the police, the incident occurred around 1 am.On receiving information, the police swung into action and began an investigation. The body was sent to the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination.Sadar police station SHO Inspector Jagdev Singh confirmed the incident, stating that Rahul died of gunshot injuries. He said a detailed investigation was underway and efforts were being made to identify and arrest the accused.