In a horrifying incident, a Delhi resident on Sunday stabbed his father to death, attacked his mother and set afire a gas cylinder, which exploded injuring 13 people, including 11 police personnel who reached the spot.
Of the injured policemen, four Sub-Inspectors – identified as Nishant, Sanjay, Ansul and Manish – suffered over 40 per cent burns.
Rahul Mata, in his 30s, fatally stabbed his father R.P. Mata, a retired financial sector employee, at Madhu Vihar locality in east Delhi in the afternoon, police said.
Rahul then attacked his mother Renu Mata with the same knife when she tried to save her husband.
He also threatened neighbours and security guards of the housing society when they reached his flat after hearing the commotion.
Responding to a call made at around 2.30 p.m., a police team reached the fourth floor residence in Ajanta Apartments after which Rahul locked himself in the kitchen and set the cooking gas cylinder on fire.
The cylinder exploded, injuring 11 policemen, Rahul and his neighbour.
"As soon as the police team reached his flat, Rahul locked himself in the kitchen, released the gas from the cylinder and set it afire when police tried to break open the door," Deputy Commissioner of Police Omvir Singh told IANS.
"Despite their injuries, my officers overpowered him. Had they (the policemen) not caught him, he would have killed other persons," the official said.
The official said Nishant's condition is critical while others are out of danger.
Fire officials said eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot and doused the flames within half an hour.
"Other flats were also affected due to the fire," a fire official said.
A police officer told IANS that accused Rahul fought with his father as the latter had disowned him from his property.
"Daily quarrels between the father and the son were in the knowledge of neighbours. Recently, we registered a case under Sections 107 (abetment to wrongdoing) and 150 (hiring of persons to join unlawful assembly) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) against Rahul on his father's complaint," the official said.
