Delhi: Vegetable vendor murdered in Adarsh Nagar

New Delhi: A 26-year-old vegetable vendor died after being attacked with a weapon, possibly an ice pick, near the Azadpur fruits and vegetable market in northwest Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar in the early hours of Thursday.

The police initially registered a case of death due to an accident as they had first received a call that a man was bleeding on the road and may have been hit by an unknown vehicle. However, the man’s autopsy report confirmed that he was attacked with a pointed weapon that could be an ice-pick. His brother also suspected a foul play and demanded that a case of murder should be registered, the police said.

“We are analysing the autopsy report and further legal action will be taken accordingly. Our teams are scanning CCTV cameras installed around the place where the man’s body was found,” said deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Usha Rangnani.

On Thursday afternoon, many traders and vendors from the Azadpur Mandi staged a protest and blocked the main road for nearly three hours, demanding justice for the dead vegetable vendor and quick police action into the case.

The dead vegetable vendor, identified as Jitendra Yadav, lived in Moolchand Colony near Adarsh Nagar. He originally belonged to Sitamarhi in Bihar. Yadav is survived by his wife and two children.

A police officer associated with the case said on the condition of anonymity that Yadav was walking towards Azadpur Mandi when the incident took place. “Our preliminary investigation has revealed that he was attacked by four men, who robbed him of his mobile phone and cash. There are certain leads on which we are working,” the officer added.