Delhi man kills father; arrested while trying to flee

A 25-year-old CNG station attendant slit his father’s throat after frequent quarrels between them in outer Delhi’s Ranhola while the man was walking on a dark street on Thursday night, the police said

Following frequent fights with him, a 25-year-old CNG station attendant slit his father’s throat on a dark street in outer Delhi’s Ranhola on Thursday night, police said.

Umesh has confessed to killing his father, said the police. (Shutterstock)

While there were no eyewitnesses to the murder, the police arrested the alleged killer, Umesh Chauhan, on Friday _ within 12 hours of the crime _ after he made contradictory statements and also absconded when he realised that he was the prime suspect.

The police identified Umesh’s father as 52-year-old Ramesh Chand Chauhan. He worked as a fuel station attendant until five years ago when his wife passed away due to illness.

“After his wife’s death, Ramesh stopped working and would live off the rent earned from letting out his three-storey building,” said a police investigator who didn’t want to be identified.

Ramesh lived on one floor with his younger son while his older son, Umesh, lived with his family on another floor.

“Relations between the father and son soured after the death of Umesh’s mother. Umesh would hold his father responsible for not saving his mother’s life. There were frequent quarrels between them. Umesh has told us that his father would also abuse his wife, but that is yet to be probed,” said the investigator.

But the trigger for the murder, neighbours told the police, was a domestic dispute over Umesh’s contribution to the payment of the electricity bill. “Neighbours have told us about this dispute, but we are yet to ascertain it,” said the officer.

According to A Koan, deputy commissioner of police (outer district), the call about Ramesh’s murder was received on Thursday night when some neighbours noticed him lying injured on a street near his home. “His throat was slit and he succumbed to his injuries soon after being admitted to hospital,” said DCP Koan.

“When we began probing the crime, it emerged that the victim and his older son shared a troubled relationship. When we questioned him, his behaviour came across as suspicious and his statements contradictory,” said the DCP.

But even as the police were investigating the crime, Umesh allegedly went into hiding, further confirming the police’s suspicion. “We arrested him on Friday morning while he was planning to flee to Uttar Pradesh. We have recovered the murder weapon from him,” said the DCP.

Umesh has confessed to killing his father, said the other investigator, adding that he had waited for his father to return from the market that night and slit his throat with a knife on finding him alone on an isolated and dark stretch of the road.