Ghaziabad: Bikers assault man in road rage, later beat his cousin to death

Jasbir Singh was beaten by bats, rods and bricks by three men and two minors until he slipped into a coma

A road rage incident spiralled into a murder after a 28-year-old man was beaten to death by three men and two minors, and several other unidentified men in Ghaziabad’s Sahibabad on April 10, police said on Wednesday, adding that all the named accused have been apprehended.

Jasbir Singh. (HT Photo)

The victim, Jasbir Singh, was the cousin of Sukhmit Singh, 22, who was initially involved in the road rage incident.

According to police, the incident began around 4.15pm on April 10 when Sukhmit and a friend were driving home in a Maruti Swift on M4U Road. They encountered eight motorcycles blocking the road. When Sukhmit asked the riders to move, they refused and instead chased his car for around 200 metres. Near a waste dumping ground, they intercepted the car and assaulted Sukhmit and his friend with baseball bats, iron rods, and bricks, according to police.

The duo managed to escape and returned to their home in Shalimar Garden, where Sukhmit identified one of the attackers as Roshan Thakur, a 20-year-old neighbour, police said.

Half an hour later, Sukhmit’s friend, and cousin Jasbir went to Thakur’s house to complain to his family. However, the same group of bikers arrived there and launched a second attack, this time targeting Jasbir.

“They beat Jasbir with bats, rods, sticks, and bricks until he was almost lifeless. No one from the neighbourhood intervened. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was placed on life support for three days. He had multiple head fractures and nearly 60% brain damage,” said Mahendra Singh, Sukhmit’s father.

Police said that Jasbir died on Tuesday, and his autopsy confirmed that he had slipped into a coma due to multiple critical head injuries.

“We arrested three suspects on April 13 and detained two minors,” said ACP Shweta Yadav of Sahibabad Circle. “The crime occurred in a residential area, but no residents stepped in. Even Thakur’s father did nothing. We are recording the family’s statements and will add relevant charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The family has alleged murder,” she added.

Following a complaint by Mahendra Singh, police registered an FIR on April 12 at Sahibabad police station under BNS sections 191(2) (rioting), 190 (unlawful assembly), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation).

The FIR named five individuals: prime suspect Roshan Thakur, Ahmad Ali (19), Shahid Khan (19), and two minors whose identities were withheld. Police also mentioned several unidentified suspects.

Deputy commissioner of police (trans-Hindon zone), Nimish Patil, did not respond to calls for comment.

Police said they are continuing their investigation and are verifying the involvement of others who may have been present during the attack.