Mangolpuri murder: The family of the 22-year-old man who was stabbed to death in northwest Delhi’s Mangolpuri area on Saturday said he was killed because he had been in a Ganesh Chaturthi procession.
Police, however, said that there was no communal angle in the incident and the issue was between two families for area dominance. Armaan died after being stabbed in a fight on Friday, while two of his cousins too were knifed, but they survived. Police had said that an incident of stabbing was reported in K-Block, Mangolpuri at 4.36 pm on Friday.
The victims, Armaan, Monty alias Moin Khan, and Fardeen, were taken to a hospital. The doctors there declared Armaan as “brought dead”.
Fardeen, who sustained minor injuries, said that around 2.15 pm, he was going somewhere on his motorcycle, and had an altercation outside one Shahrukh’s house with his brother Shahbir over his bike.
Fardeen went back to his home, where his brother, Monty, told him he would resolve the matter peacefully with Shahrukh. When he met Shahrukh, the latter abused Monty and they had a heated argument. Hearing the commotion, their cousin Armaan also reached there.
As the fight got intense, Shahrukh and his brother Shahbir asked their associates to bring knives. The two brothers, with their associates, stabbed Armaan, Fardeen, and Monty.
In another incident, they attacked two more persons in O-Block. Two cases -- murder and attempt to murder -- against the accused are being registered at Mangolpuri Police Station.
Saif and Vineet, who were involved in the attack on Armaan, after suspected self-inflicted injuries, admitted themselves at Babasaheb Ambedkar hospital, Rohini, police had said.
Shahrukh, Saif, and Vineet were apprehended on Friday and efforts are being made to arrest the other accused, police said.
Armaan’s father Mohammad Salim Hakeem said that his son had gone to pacify the situation, but got stabbed.
“My son had gone for the Ganesh Chaturthi immersion and had just returned home. In the afternoon, his cousins Monty and Fardeen had some argument with some locals. Armaan was cleaning the car and was asked to have lunch after taking a bath. He heard a noise and went to the spot,” said Hakeem, a cable operator.
“He saw that some people were attacking Fardeen and Monty. He tried to intervene, but was stabbed,” he said. Armaan was his only son and used to work with him, he said.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Fardeen said that they had come back from a Ganesh Chaturthi procession.
“When we reached near our home and stood there, they all – his alleged attackers – came there. They said that you are a Muslim and why have you put colour on your face and did not do namaz today. When I asked them what happened, they started abusing us and later attacked us,” Fardeen said.
A senior police officer rubbished this version saying the fight was a result of an old rivalry for dominance in the area.
“There is no communal angle in the entire issue. It is a case of bad blood between two families for area dominance,” he said.
“It was a coincidence that it took place on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Involved people may tell us many versions because of obvious reasons.”
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