One killed, another hurt in stabbing spree in Delhi’s Narela

The suspect, Manish Kumar, who hails from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, attacked and robbed the two men separately over a span of 20 minutes

A 23-year-old man was arrested for stabbing a man to death and injuring another while robbing them in north Delhi’s Narela Industrial Area on February 16, police officers aware of the matter said on Monday.

Investigators said that the Narela Industrial Area police station was informed by the Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital on Friday at 9pm that a man was brought dead to the hospital with stab injuries while another was undergoing treatment for the same. (Representational image)

The suspect, Manish Kumar, who hails from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, attacked and robbed the two men separately over a span of 20 minutes in the same neighbourhood, they added. The deceased man was identified as Bablu Jha, 23, while the injured man was identified as Aakash Kumar, 26, said deputy commissioner of police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh.

Investigators said that the Narela Industrial Area police station was informed by the Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital on Friday at 9pm that a man was brought dead to the hospital with stab injuries while another was undergoing treatment for the same. The two came separately — the deceased man was brought by a friend and the injured man, Aakash Kumar, arrived on his own. When police arrived on the scene, Aakash told them that three men who were riding a bike robbed him of his mobile phone and cash and stabbed him.

Aakash said that he was walking home from the factory where he works when the suspects attacked him in the neighbourhood. “Aakash said that they took money from his e-wallet after asking him for the password to open the application. But they still stabbed him in his hand and thigh,” said DCP Singh.

The deceased man’s friend, Aman, known only by a single name, told police that Jha called him and said he had been stabbed in the stomach near a temple in Bhorgarh, said investigators. Aman said that he rushed to the scene and took Jha to a private hospital, which allegedly denied him admission because it was a police case, according to investigators. “The friend said that by the time they arrived at Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital, Jha succumbed to his injuries,” DCP Singh added.

The police registered two cases — one on charges of murder and the other under sections of robbery and causing hurt.

DCP Singh said that a team was tasked with scanning CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood, another was assigned to mount technical surveillance, and a third team was tasked with developing local intelligence and background information on the victims while verifying information on suspects. “Initial leads suggested that both incidents might be the work of the same criminals. Further investigation revealed that the criminals had transferred money from Aakash’s e-wallet account,” he said.

With the help of technical analysis, the police identified Manish, a resident of Narela’s Punjabi Colony. Manish was arrested on Sunday, DCP Singh said.

During interrogation, Manish confessed that on Friday, he and his associates, Raja and Ajay, both known only by single names, committed the robberies, said investigators. “He said that they first targeted Jha and about 20 minutes later, they targeted Aakash,” the officer said. Manish also told police that he committed the robberies because of financial debt, said investigators.

DCP Singh said that the other two suspects are at large and teams are working to arrest them. “We have recovered the stolen mobile phone and cash, and the knife and bike used in the crimes,” the officer said.