Delhi golgappa vendor stabbed 18 times for refusing to serve, five held

Raju sold golgappas with his father in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri. On Sunday night, when he told a group of men that he did not have enough ingredients to fix them golgappas, they allegedly stabbed him.

Three men have been arrested and two juveniles apprehended for allegedly murdering a golgappa seller in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri on Sunday night. Raju (24) was stabbed 18 times after he refused to serve golgappe to the five accused, police said.

Raju (24) was allegedly stabbed by five drunk men in outer Delhi when he was returning home on Sunday night.

According to the police, the five have confessed to their involvement in the murder. During the interrogation, the five reportedly told the police that they were drunk and got enraged when Raju refused to serve them golgappe. They have been identified as Gogi (22), Anil (28) and Nikhil (24) - all residents of Mangolpuri.

Raju lived with his family in Mangolpuri’s I-Block and sold the street snack at a roadside cart with his father, Radhey Shyam. On Sunday around 11.30 pm, he had closed his shop and was returning home.

His father was walking about 200 metres ahead and had almost reached home. Police said when Raju reached I-Block, five men consuming alcohol stopped him and asked him to serve golgappe. Raju told them he did not have the ingredients to make them.

“The men insisted on having golgappe. When Raju refused, they began assaulting him. One of them took out a knife and stabbed him multiple times till he collapsed on the road,” said an investigating officer.

Hearing Raju’s screams, his family and neighbours rushed to him but the attackers had fled by then. However, they managed to see at least two of the five attackers. A neighbour then informed the police. Raju was rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The doctors said Raju suffered 18 stab injuries that punctured his vital organs, police said.

A case of murder was registered at the Mangolpuri police station and three teams were formed to nab the attackers, who were suspected to be from the same locality.

According to MN Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (outer district), they zeroed in on Gogi, who had been missing after the crime. His cellphone records showed that he kept changing his location as he knew that raids were being carried out at his possible hideouts.

“Through our technical surveillance and criminal intelligence network, we tracked down Gogi’s location in Agra and arrested him on Monday night. His interrogation led us to the other accused,” added the DCP.

Tiwari said that Gogi was previously involved in seven cases of theft and carjacking. Anil too has a criminal background and was involved in ten criminal cases. Nikhil did not have a criminal background but he was often seen with petty criminals of Mangolpuri.