Delivery exec brutally attacked with axe by 12 men in Gurugram

Investigators said doctors informed them that victim suffered at least 15 deep cuts, with his left leg “virtually severed” due to repeated axe blows

A 26-year-old delivery executive was left critically injured and placed on ventilator support after a group of around a dozen armed men attacked him with axes, rods and sticks in broad daylight in Sector 10, Gurugram, in what police said was an act of revenge targeting his younger brother.

CCTV grab of the attack. (HT)

Police said the incident took place around 1.30pm on Saturday when the victim, identified as Abhishek, a resident of Khandsa Mandi in Sector 37, had just boarded his motorcycle after stepping out of a warehouse to begin deliveries. The assailants arrived in a car and on five motorcycles, their faces covered, before ramming his motorcycle with the car and launching a brutal assault.

Investigators said doctors informed them that Abhishek suffered at least 15 deep cuts, with his left leg “virtually severed” due to repeated axe blows. Multiple surgeries are under way to prevent amputation, and he remains on ventilator support.

According to a senior police officer, the attackers held a grudge against Abhishek’s younger brother, Ritesh (single name), 22, who had rescued his neighbour Vinit, 19, from being assaulted in Shakti Park colony in Sector 10A a week earlier. “The suspects had enmity with Vinit. He was also critically injured in the assault and had sustained at least eight stitches in the head,” the officer added on condition of anonymity.

Investigators said the suspects later developed hostility towards Ritesh, who works with his brother at the same delivery firm at the Sector 10A warehouse. They had planned to attack him on Saturday but after failing to locate him, they turned on Abhishek instead.

Ritesh told HT that he submitted CCTV footage of the attack to the police. In the video, he said, the suspects can be seen striking Abhishek’s left leg repeatedly with axes “with motive to chop it” even after he had fallen unconscious. “He had sustained deep cut wounds in shoulder, back, and left leg. Overall, doctors said there were 15 to 20 wounds caused by the axes. His left leg is barely attached. It had gotten completely twisted when the attacker hit the axe on the back of his knee,” he said.

Ritesh said his mother and aunt reached the spot after being alerted by warehouse staff. “They somehow arranged an auto rickshaw and rushed Abhishek to Sector 10A civil hospital. However, wounds were so deep that doctors were unable to stop bleeding after which we rushed him to a private hospital in Manesar where he continues to be under ventilator support,” he added.

DCP (West) Karan Goel said a petty dispute between the two families triggered the attack and that identities of all assailants had been established. “Raids are going on to nab them as soon as possible,” he said.

Goel said that there was clear intent to murder the victim and thus the FIR was registered against the suspects under sections 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 191(3) (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) at Sector 10 police station based on the statement of the victim’s uncle since Abhishek was unfit to give a statement.