Delhi: He offered to pay if they used public toilet, they beat him to death
When Ravinder Kumar, 32, noticed two young men urinating on the roadside in north Delhi’s GTB Nagar on Saturday afternoon, he used his usual method to embarrass them.
He offered to pay them Rs 2 each, the cost of using a public toilet just a few steps away. But the harmless practice of ensuring cleanliness around the spot where he operates his e-rickshaw led to his death.
The two youths argued before leaving the spot with threats to return soon and “disfigure his face”. They returned a few hours later with 15-20 friends and beat him to death with knuckles and stones wrapped in a towel.
Married on May 9 last year, Ravinder lived with his wife, parents and three brothers in Kishore Market, a stone’s throw from where he was killed.
“His wife is pregnant. The couple was so excited about it,” said his elder brother, Vijender.
Ravinder was very particular about cleanliness. “He never allowed anyone from our family to urinate in public,” said his mother, Susheela.
The e-rickshaw stand outside GTB Nagar metro station’s gate number four from where Ravinder operated is usually dirty but Ravinder did his bit to ensure sanitation. “How could he allow people to urinate at the place where he often had his meals,” said his friend, Manoj.
According to a staffer at a local liquor shop from where the duo had purchased beer cans, they were in an “argumentative mood”. “They had begun drinking on the stairs leading to our shop. When I objected, they were angry with me,” said Ranjeet, the staffer.
After the argument, the youths hired an e-rickshaw and allegedly headed to Kirori Mal College. “They were talking about returning and beating up a driver in a green T-shirt. I did not know they were talking about Ravinder,” said Milan, an e-rickshaw driver who said he dropped them.
The two youths returned around 6 pm with a few friends but were unable to spot Ravinder that time. They returned again around 8 pm with a larger group.
The CCTV cameras at the liquor shop captured them but most other cameras around the spot were allegedly non-functional.