24, including 8 juveniles, chargesheeted for murdering 32-year-old in ‘revenge attack’

The prime conspirator, identified as 20-year-old Prashant Kumar, was attacked by relatives and friends of a woman he was spotted with and hospitalised, following which he sent 23 people to retaliate

New Delhi

Police have arrested 23 of the 24, including eight minors. (Getty Images)

Twenty-four people, including eight juveniles, were chargesheeted by the police for conspiring and killing a 32-year-old man in an “act of revenge”, after one of the 24 was initially attacked by a group of people over his relationship with an 18-year-old woman, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place at Anna Nagar, near Pragati Maidan, central Delhi, on April 9. The prime conspirator, identified as 20-year-old Prashant Kumar, was attacked by relatives and friends of the woman and hospitalised, following which he sent 23 people to retaliate and kill the woman’s family, who fled.

However, their neighbour Nand Kishore was spotted by the group and he was assaulted and stabbed multiple times, according to police. They said the 24 have been booked on charges of murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy under sections 302, 148, 149 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at the IP Estate police station.

Police said 15 adults, barring one absconding person, were arrested from Delhi and the eight juveniles, all boys, were also apprehended and sent to a correction home in the three months since the crime. The chargesheet was filed last week, they said.

Elaborating on the sequence of events, an officer, requesting anonymity, said that on April 9 evening, a brother of the woman spotted her travelling with prime accused Kumar in a scooter. He informed the family, who disapproved of it and decided to attack Kumar, who is a resident of Mori Gate at ITO Chowk.

“They found Kumar in Anna Nagar around 8pm and badly assaulted him. He suffered multiple injuries and was admitted to Lok Nayak hospital. Kumar called his friend, Mohit Kumar, about the assault and asked him to make arrangements to get revenge. Within an hour, Mohit and 22 associates met Prashant at the hospital, where they hatched the revenge plan,” the officer said.

Mohit and his associates, some of whom were identified as Mukesh, Manish, Sonu, Sunny, Ansh, Nikhil, Sahil and Taj Bhola, went to Anna Nagar carrying knives and sticks. Upon spotting them, the woman’s family members, who were with Nand Kishore, fled the spot.

“The group caught Kishore, assaulted him and stabbed him in his abdomen and thigh before fleeing the scene. By the time Kishore was rushed to the hospital, he had died of excessive bleeding,” the officer said.

The investigating team learnt about the two attacks that took place within two hours and collected evidence from footage of CCTV cameras installed in the neighbourhood. They interrogated Prashant and ascertained the sequence of events, police said.