Head constable shot dead near house in Delhi’s Jaitpur

Police officers investigating the murder suspect personal enmity or a quarrel could have led to the policeman’s killing.

A Delhi Police head constable was shot dead near his house in southeast Delhi’s Jaitpur, late Tuesday night.

Ram Avtar Kholwar, a 2003-batch policeman, who was posted in Ambedkar Nagar police station of southeast district, had won appreciation from senior officers for good policing about two weeks ago. (Picture for representation)

Police officers investigating the murder suspect personal enmity or a quarrel could have led to the policeman’s killing. No arrests were made till late Wednesday.

Ram Avtar Kholwar, a 2003-batch policeman, who was posted in Ambedkar Nagar police station of southeast district, had won appreciation from senior officers for good policing about two weeks ago. He used to live in Shakti Vihar with his wife and two children, aged 10 and five.

Senior officers say the murder took place around 11.15 pm when Kholwar had left his home to go to a flour mill near his house. “His wife told police in her statement that Kholwar was officially deployed at an upscale south Delhi hotel to attend a foreign delegation. He had left home around 8 am and returned at 8 pm. Since the family was short of flour in the house, she had sent him to a nearby flour mill. Around 11.30, she got a call reporting that her husband has been attacked and rushed to a hospital,” said a police officer, not authorised to speak to the media.

The officer, who is probing the murder, said Kholwar’s motorcycle was found parked near the crime spot. “The keys of his bikes were found in his pocket. It seems that he had gone to meet someone when he was attacked. It is possible that he had spotted some miscreants or drug addicts in the area and attempted to interrupt them, which is when they probably retaliated,” the officer said.

Police also found that before going to the mill, Kholwar had kept his service pistol in the house.

Shot at a close range, the bullet pierced into Kholwar’s abdomen from the right side. Police suspects involvement of more than one killers behind the cop’s murder. No CCTV footage has been recovered from the spot yet.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast), Chinmoy Biswal said he has formed teams to crack the murder and arrest the killers. “We are probing all angles from personal enmity to the spot quarrel that could have led to the murder. CCTV footage are being collected from the neighbouring areas to identify killers. Kholwar’s family members and colleagues are also being questioned,” Biswal said.

A crime and forensics team also reached the spot after the murder to collect evidence.