2 killed in separate cases over trivial matters in Delhi, suspects held

In the first murder reported from central Delhi’s Anand Parbat, a 19-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly by a group of five persons, including two minor boys, over ₹300. In the second case, a 25-year-old rickshaw puller was stabbed to death with an ice pick allegedly by another rickshaw puller

Two men were murdered in the city in two separate incidents between Saturday and Monday, allegedly over trivial issues, the police said on Tuesday, adding that the suspects in both cases have been arrested.

In 2020, 472 murders (including 53 deaths in the Delhi riots) were reported in Delhi, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, down from 571 in 2019. Police said every year, about 20-25% murders in Delhi are a result of “ sudden provocation” or over trivial issues. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In the first murder on Saturday night, reported from central Delhi’s Anand Parbat, a 19-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly by a group of five persons, including two minor boys, over ₹300 that the man had borrowed from one of them and was not returning. In the second case, a 25-year-old rickshaw puller was stabbed to death with an ice pick allegedly by another rickshaw puller after their vehicles “grazed each other” in south Delhi’s Sarita Vihar on Monday night.

This is the third case of murder over a trivial matter reported in the city since Saturday. On Sunday night, a 30-year-old woman, who ran a grocery shop in south-west Delhi’s Dabri, was stabbed to death allegedly by a plumber over the money he owed her for groceries. The woman was attacked on a busy lane in the market and the assault was captured by CCTV cameras, the footage of which was widely circulated on social media soon after. Locals overpowered the suspect and thrashed him before a police team reached there.The mob also attacked the police personnel, but they managed to rescue the 45-year-old plumber, who was later arrested for murder, police said.

In the Anand Parbat case, deputy commissioner of police (central) Sweta Chauhan, said the deceased, Shailendra Kumar, had borrowed ₹300 from a man named Ravi a few days ago and was not returning it. The two exchanged heated words over phone and Ravi’s juvenile friend, who was previously involved in a crime, decided to teach Kumar a lesson. On Saturday afternoon, Kumar was with his friend Vinod Kumar in Gali No-11, when five persons, including Ravi and the juvenile, overpowered him and stabbed twice in his thigh. Kumar died of excessive bleeding. A murder case was registered and Ravi and his associate Vishal were arrested, while two juvenile accused were apprehended. The fifth suspect is on the run, the police said.

The Sarita Vihar murder,police said, took place near the LIG flats on Monday around 8.30pm. Police said the 25-year-old rickshaw puller, identified by his first name as Arvind, was stabbed with an ice pick by rickshaw puller Awdhesh (single name), following an altercation over “their rickshaws allegedly grazing past each other”. Both lived in Sarita Vihar with their families and ferried passengers between Sarita Vihar colony and the nearby Metro station, police said.

Police said Awdhesh allegedly stabbed Arvind with an ice pick before fleeing the spot. Arvind was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Awdhesh was arrested and booked for murder, said deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Esha Pandey.

In 2020, 472 murders (including 53 deaths in the Delhi riots) were reported in Delhi, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, down from 571 in 2019. Police said every year, about 20-25% murders in Delhi are a result of “ sudden provocation” or over trivial issues.