Delivery agent’s murder in Delhi sparks political row

A Delhi head constable's murder of a 21-year-old Bihari delivery agent sparks political outrage, with MPs demanding justice and condemning alleged hate crime.

New Delhi: Sunday’s murder of 21-year-old food delivery agent by a Delhi head constable in Dwarka led to a political row on Tuesday with at least two members of Parliament (MP) from Bihar visiting the victim’s family and expressing solidarity over what the family has alleged was a “hate crime” because the victims are from Bihar.

According to police, the incident took place when the head constable objected to a group of people returning from a party “making noise” on the street in front of his house in the early hours of Sunday. (Photo for representation)

On Tuesday, independent MP from Purnea Lok Sabha constituency Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, and Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) MP from Khagaria, from where the victim’s family hails, visited Uttam Nagar and met the victim’s family, expressed solidarity and demanded action against the accused policeman.

Meanwhile, other leaders from Bihar attacked the Delhi government.

“In the BJP government, ‘being a Bihari’ has become the biggest crime and an act of treason” Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and leader of opposition in Bihar legislative assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, posted on X in Hindi.

BJP MP from Northeast Delhi Manoj Tiwari posted on X, “The murder … is extremely heartbreaking and shocking. I have spoken with Delhi’s Special CP Madhup Tiwari. The (head) constable who shot him has been arrested… No matter how much this incident is condemned, it is not enough… The killer must receive the harshest possible punishment.”

LJP (Ramvilas) chief and MP from Hajipur in Bihar Chirag Paswan and RJD’s Rajya Sabha MP, Manoj Jha, also condemned the murder. “...This incident raises serious questions about law and order and human rights,” Paswan wrote on X.

“Do you think the lives of Biharis have no value? Take advantage of us when you need to and get rid of us whenever you want… This is nothing but jungle raj,” Jha was quoted as saying by news agencies.

According to police officials, the incident took place when the head constable objected to a group of people returning from a party “making noise” on the street in front of his house in the early hours of Sunday. After a fight, the police officer fired a single shot that struck the victim’s chest, and then struck his friends beside him. While the first man was killed, his friend was wounded in the shooting.

“The policeman was angry because we were talking in our local language. He hurled abuses when we told him that we were from Bihar. When we protested, he took out his gun and shot us,” the dead man’s cousin told HT on Tuesday.