A dismissed Merchant Navy officer allegedly murdered his father by slitting his throat and inflicted stab and burn injuries on a dozen others, including a neighbour, some policemen and himself, at Ajanta Apartments in East Delhi’s Madhu Vihar on Sunday.
After he went on the rampage, stabbing his father 35 times, Rahul set himself ablaze in the kitchen of a neighbour to prevent the police from overpowering him.
The deceased, R.P. Matta, 60, stayed with his married younger son in Canada, the police said. Mr. Matta came to India about two months ago to resolve a dispute between the mother and son over the latter’s marriage.
Frequent arguments
According to neighbours, the father and son had several arguments in the past few weeks. Mr. Matta had even disowned his son, following which the residents’ welfare association barred Rahul from entering the apartment complex.
Defying the order and armed with a chopper, Rahul turned up at the apartment gate around 2 p.m. on Sunday. “He attacked the guard who guard tried to stop him. Then, Rahul went to his first floor house. In the meanwhile, the guard alerted the manager of the apartment, who, in turn, informed the police,” said a neighbour. At the time of the incident, Rahul’s mother was not at home. Following an argument with Mr. Matta, Rahul slit his throat and repeatedly stabbed him. Hearing the commotion, Renu Bansal, a neighbour, rushed to the Matta residence but was attacked by Rahul.
In the meantime, a police team also reached the apartment. Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Omvir Singh Bishnoi said: “We freed Ms. Bansal, but when the policemen tried to overpower Rahul, he attacked them too.”
Rahul ran out of his flat and entered the house of a neighbour on the third floor and locked himself up in the kitchen. He turned on the LPG stove, filling the room with inflammable gas.
“When all efforts to convince him to come out failed, our men decided to break open the door. As soon as they managed to do it, Rahul set the room ablaze. The fire engulfed the room, injuring him and those who entered the room,” said Mr. Bishnoi.
Mr. Bishnoi said at least four sub-inspectors sustained major burns.
