Gurugram murder: Instances of yelling regular, didn’t think he would kill them, say neighbours

Gurugram Neighbours of the Mehta family in Laxmi Garden on Tuesday said that they heard distinct yelling from the residence on Monday, but dismissed it as routine,

Gurugram Neighbours of the Mehta family in Laxmi Garden on Tuesday said that they heard distinct yelling from the residence on Monday, but dismissed it as routine, considering that their elder son often allegedly became violent.

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Ajay, who lives in the neighbourhood, said that he heard shouts but did not think that three members of the Mehta family had been attacked. “Over the past few years, we had gotten used to such sounds. Rishabh often used to bolt the main door of the house and fight with his family, often leading to violence. The family endured it as he had been suffering from an ailment since he was a teenager and tried to reason with him. I did not imagine it could escalate to this,” said Ajay.

Prince, another neighbour, said that over the years, he was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi multiple times for treatment. “His father always stayed with him in the hospital, sleeping on the floor, sometimes. The family used to run a factory in Kadipur, which had to be shut down last year, as they devoted their time to take care of him,” he said.

To support the family, Mayank had been working as a driver with a motorcycle aggregator service. Rishabh worked intermittently at their factory, when it was operational.

Another neighbour, Piyush Sharma, said that after one such fight, Rishabh had called the police to file a complaint against his family. “In the recent weeks, Rishabh had adopted a street dog, which bit several people. But we did not confront him, fearing he would create a ruckus,” he said.

The police said that they were verifying the claims of neighbours and family regarding his alleged past behaviour.

Subhash Chand, in-charge of police post, Pataudi Road, where the complaint was filed, said, “We have recorded the statement of the victim’s family and neighbours and are investigating their claims of the accused man’s abusive behaviour. His medical records are also being checked.”