Killed for blanket on season’s coldest day

Unable to bear the chill on the season’s coldest day, a homeless man killed a 15-year-old boy for a blanket at Ajmal Khan Park, in central Delhi.

Unable to bear the chill on the season’s coldest day, a homeless man killed a 15-year-old boy for a blanket at Ajmal Khan Park, in central Delhi.

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On Wednesday, police arrested 33-year-old Shravan, who goes by his first name, on charges of murdering 15-year-old Sonu, who would not let Shravan take his new blanket.

“Sonu used to sell cigarettes and bidi, and owned a small shop near Ajmal Khan Park. On Monday, when the temperature fell to 5.2 degrees, the accused tried to steal a new blanket that Sonu was sleeping in. Sonu woke up and resisted, at which Shravan hit him with a heavy stone. He then fled from the scene,” said Jaspal Singh, deputy commissioner of police (central).

Police said, on Tuesday morning, Sonu’s mother, Champa Devi, who sleeps at the bus stop came to the shop and found her son in a pool of blood. She raised an alarm and a case was registered.

“During investigation, Sonu’s mother informed us that she had purchased a new blanket for her son, which was found missing,” said the officer.

Police said they began investigation and on Tuesday night, they found one vagabond sleeping with a new blanket.

“He broke down and confessed to the crime. He said he killed Sonu as he could have identified him. Shravan used to buy bidis from him. Sonu.”