Delhi: Man murdered, body dragged over ₹2,000 dispute; 3 minors among 5 arrested

The apprehended attackers told the police that the 22-year-old man, a resident of Gautampuri, had borrowed the money a few weeks ago and was not returning it despite repeated demands

A gruesome crime unfolded on the streets of Delhi early Wednesday morning after a group of at least five people, which included three minor boys, allegedly stabbed a 22-year-old man multiple times and dragged his body on the road in Gautampuri near Badarpur.

Representational image.

They were caught after two policemen on motorcycle patrol spotted the crime and nabbed the culprits after a chase, which was captured on CCTV cameras nearby.

According to preliminary probe, the man was killed over a monetary dispute of ₹2,000 he had with one of the alleged attackers, the police said.

The apprehended attackers told the police that the 22-year-old man, identified as Gaurav Singh alias Lambu, a resident of Gautampuri, had borrowed the money a few weeks ago and was not returning it despite repeated demands.

In the 27-second CCTV video clip the police made public, three people are seen running into a service lane adjacent to the main road. A police bike is seen crossing the carriageway, with the pillion rider in a black jacket and a diary in hand seen getting down from the moving bike and running towards the suspects.

Two suspects flee into another lane while the third person, after seeing the policeman approaching, returns to the same direction in the lane he was coming from, the CCTV footage showed.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Rajesh Deo said the Badarpur police station received information from a head constable around 2am on Wednesday, informing that he along with another head constable was on patrolling duty at Meet Chowk in Gautampuri and noticed three to four people dragging a man, who was badly injured and unconscious.

Noticing the policemen on patrol, the suspects left the injured man and ran towards BIW Colony, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) campus. One of the policemen chased them, while the other raised an alarm and alerted his colleagues present in and around the area.

Badarpur station house officer (SHO), along with his police staff, rushed to the spot and joined the chase and caught three suspects near the NTPC Gate-1, Deo said.

“Two of them turned out to be juveniles, aged 16 and 17, while the third suspect was identified as 18-year-old Armaan Kurru. The trio disclosed that they had a fight with Gaurav over a monetary dispute and was settling personal scores. The other two who fled were also with them. They all stabbed Gaurav multiple times, which led to his death. They were dragging the body away when our patrolling team spotted them,” the DCP said.

The other two suspects were apprehended later in the day, of which one turned out to be a minor boy. The other was identified as 18-year-old Shaid Bondi. All five are residents of Gautampuri and knew Gaurav, the police added.