Autorickshaw driver Ranjeet Singh, who was attacked by three men on Mathura Road on Monday, is an accused in two robbery cases, including one carried out at the house of former Jangpura MLA Tarwinder Singh Marwah’s nephew.
The attackers, his co-accused in another case, had been tailing him from Lodhi Road, where he had gone for a CNG refill, his family said.
“The accused, who were tailing him in a vehicle, finally intercepted him around 7 p.m. at Mathura Road,” said his brother Amarjeet.
“The accused demanded that he get into the car. He parked his autorickshaw nearby and managed to message his wife, telling her to reach Mathura Road. Even as she started from their Pant Nagar residence, the discussion between the accused and Ranjeet turned heated,” said a police officer.
Amarjeet, who was also among the protesters, told The Hindu that after his brother refused to give in to their demand to turn hostile in the case, the trio decided to eliminate him.
This was followed by the attack, during which the accused also threw acid on Ranjeet, which burnt parts of his lower abdomen. Amarjeet claimed the trio wanted to burn Ranjeet along with his autorickshaw, but he managed to escape .
The accused men fled when Ranjeet’s wife reached the spot. The couple then proceeded to the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station to file a complaint. The police took Ranjeet to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He was later shifted to Safdarjung Hospital.
“He is out of danger for now, but still admitted in the hospital. He has one per cent burns and some other injuries, which may have been a result of the assault ,” said the officer.
A case was registered and the police arrested Ashram resident Somen Nair (55). Investigations revealed that Somen and Ranjeet were involved in an armed robbery at a house in Bhogal.
“The victim and the three accused were involved in the robbery. They were arrested along with their accomplices. They got bail six months later and have been out of jail since.”
Ranjeet purportedly told the police that he was attacked because he had agreed to testify against his co-accused.
