Man mocked at, stabbed to death; one held

Victims ridiculed for sitting around bonfire ‘like women’; manhunt for absconding accused on

Deceased Ankit Kumar

A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death and his friend sustained injuries allegedly after being “mocked” at in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri on Thursday night, the police said on Saturday. The police have arrested one person in connection with the case.

A quarrel which broke out between two groups led to the murder.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Pankaj Singh said that the deceased has been identified as Ankit Kumar, who worked as a security guard with a private company, and the injured has been identified as Suresh. The accused, identified as Shubham, was arrested on Saturday while the police are currently looking for his accomplices who were also allegedly involved in the crime.

The police said that on Thursday night, Ankit and Suresh were sitting around a bonfire in Block 14, when their neighbours Shubham, Sachin, Vishal and Annu came and mocked them for “sitting around the bonfire like women”. The victims took offence and an argument ensued between the two groups after which Ankit and Suresh allegedly slapped accused Shubham.

Shubham and his friends then allegedly assaulted the victims. Annu and Vishal held the two, while Sachin and Shubham stabbed them multiple times, the police said. The victims called for help, after which their families intervened. The police said that Shubham’s father also sustained minor injuries in the incident.

Ankit and Suresh were rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital where Ankit succumbed to injuries on Saturday morning. Suresh is still undergoing treatment, the police also said.

Based on complaints from both sides, the police have registered cross first information reports under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Kalyanpuri police station.

Suresh’s brother Durgesh, meanwhile, told the police that Sachin and his brother had a fight about six years ago after which the family had approached the police, but the matter reached a compromise and the complaint was withdrawn. The brother also alleged that Sachin is involved in cases of robberies. The police are verifying his claims and are looking for the absconding accused.