20-year-old beaten up by residents over suspicion of theft in outer Delhi, dies

Police said they are waiting for the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of the death. “Further legal action in the matter will be taken accordingly,” said deputy commissioner of police (outer) Parminder Singh

A 20-year-old man died after he was allegedly beaten up by a group of people on the suspicion of theft in outer Delhi’s Kirari Suleman Nagar near Aman Vihar in the early hours of Monday, police said.

The police have written to the Delhi government to constitute a panel of doctors for conducting the post-mortem examination, senior police officers said. (Picture for representation only)

The body of the man, identified as Vishal Singh, has been preserved at the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital’s (SGMH’s) mortuary for autopsy. The police have written to the Delhi government to constitute a panel of doctors for conducting the post-mortem examination, senior police officers said.

“The exact reason behind Singh’s death will be ascertained once the autopsy is done. Further legal action in the matter will be taken accordingly,” said deputy commissioner of police (outer) Parminder Singh.

DCP Singh said around 5am Monday, the Sultanpuri police station received a call wherein the caller informed the police that a “thief” was caught from Kirari Suleman Nagar. A police team was sent there to verify the information. The team learnt from locals that the thief had entered a house in the neighbourhood.

“When the occupants of the house woke up on hearing some sound, the thief allegedly jumped off the terrace of the house, in a bid to escape. He was allegedly caught and assaulted by the public. The injured man was shifted to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. There were no visible injury marks on his body. It is being ascertained whether the man died of the alleged assault or due to the fall from the terrace,” said DCP Singh.

A case of house trespass and attempt to theft was registered on the complaint of the house owner, Sumit. No case was registered in the alleged assault case, as the autopsy report is still awaited, the police said.

A month ago, a 25-year-old unidentified man died after he was tied to a tree and beaten up by a group of people on the suspicion of theft in outer Delhi’s Narela Industrial Area. Two men were arrested in that case.