Following a quarrel that broke out at a birthday party, a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death, allegedly by four men, reported PTI.
Rinku Sharma has reportedly been identified as the deceased. The Delhi Police has transferred the case to its Crime Branch, reproted ANI.
The police had earlier said that their investigation shows the incident started with a fight over their food joints.
All four accused – Zahid, Mehtab, Danish and Islam – were arrested on Thursday, 11 February, according to PTI. A fifth accused, Tazuddin, was also arrested by the police on Friday.
The police has also said that all persons involved knew each other and lived in the same locality.
According to ANI, DCP Chinmoy Biswal has said that they are also probing angles other than what their investigation reveals, but the Delhi Police has also clearly stated on Twitter:
“Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong.”
The police had to step up security in the victim’s locality on 13 February as more than 50 members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad held a protest in Mangolpuri, despite the police refuting their allegations, The Indian Express reported.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
As per the Delhi Police, the incident took place on Wednesday, 10 February, when the victim, as well as the accused were attending a birthday party.
At the party, an argument broke out over their food joints in Rohini. They slapped and threatened each other, as well.
“So far, during investigation, it has surfaced that quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant.”Delhi Police
According to PTI, the police has said that following the party, the four accused went to Sharma's house where the victim along with his elder brother were already standing outside with sticks.
Reportedly, a scuffle broke out between the two parties again. During the scuffle, Sharma was reportedly stabbed and the accused fled the spot, a senior police officer informed PTI.
The victim was thereby rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to the injuries.
The Indian Express also reported that the police has accessed a CCTV footage from the locality, which shows “12 men walking towards Sharma’s house with lathis.” More arrests will be made based on this footage.
CONTEXT
Police enquiry reveals that both parties had opened their respective eateries close to each other’s in Rohini. However, both eateries incurred losses and had to be shut down. Further, both parties blamed each other for their losses.
They had had similar tussles in the past as well, reported PTI, citing the police.
RIGHT-WING GROUP ATTEMPTS TO DRAW ANGLE REFUTED BY POLICE
Leaders of right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad, however, are floating a new angle, by claiming that Sharma was associated with their organisation and was killed for collecting donations for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The victim’s brother Mannu, who’s a member of the VHP’s youth wing, has also made similar claims.
“Last year during Dussehra, the accused were angry over the Ram Mandir event in the locality and threatened us,” he stated, adding that the accused live nearby and had come to their house armed with sticks. According to The Indian Express, Mannu’s allegations about the argument over last year’s event also find a mention in the FIR.
The police, however, has denied all these allegations, stating that the tussle stems from their resentment over the fact that their eatery businesses had to be shut down.
The victim’s mother stated that they “don’t have an issue with Muslims here. But I am against Tazuddin’s family, who broke into our house and beat us.” Adding that Sharma was the sole breadwinner of the family, she appealed the police to arrest all of them.
(With inputs from The Indian Express, PTI and ANI.)
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