Fruit vendor stabbed to death by four friends

The four men, who were arrested on Monday, said the vendor taunted them for depending on him for their drinking sessions after losing their livelihood amid the Covid-19 pandemic, police said.

A 27-year-old fruit vendor was stabbed to death, allegedly by his four friends, at Jheel Khureji near Krishna Nagar in east Delhi on Sunday night.

The crime was captured on a CCTV camera near the crime spot. The video footage shows two men riding a scooter stopping near the roadside. (Representative image)

The four men, who were arrested on Monday, said the vendor taunted them for depending on him for their drinking sessions after losing their livelihood amid the Covid-19 pandemic, police said.

The crime was captured on a CCTV camera near the crime spot. The video footage shows two men riding a scooter stopping near the roadside. They are having a discussion when three men with their faces covered arrive on a bike and attack the fruit vendor, Jitender Gupta, riding pillion on the scooter, police said.

The footage shows the fruit vendor trying to run but is overpowered. They pin him down and stab him while the man riding the scooter keeps on looking. Gupta again tries to flee but is caught and stabbed, killing him on the spot, senior police officers said.

The police said Gupta’s wife rushed him to a hospital. He told her the names of the two attackers before he died, they said.

Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Amit Sharma said the police received a call on Sunday night regarding a quarrel in Jheel Khureji. A police team reached the spot to learn that a man who was stabbed by some men had been taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. A case was registered, DCP Sharma said.

“The deceased was killed by his friends. The suspects identified Sandip, Hemant Nitin Kapoor and Gaurav were caught,” said Sharma.

During interrogation, the DCP said, one of the arrested men said Gupta used to bully them and often passed taunting remarks after they lost their livelihood.

On Saturday night, an investigator said all five friends were drinking when Gupta passed similar remarks in a drunken stupor. One of the four men put his earphone to avoid Gupta’s remarks. This irked Gupta more and he allegedly threatened to kill him, the officer said.

“The next morning, Gupta again taunted and threatened them, after which they hatched his murder plan,” the officer added.