Delivery worker shot dead after argument in Jaffarpur Kalan

A 21-year-old food delivery worker was shot dead at close range in southwest Delhi’s Jaffarpur Kalan in the early hours of Sunday after a brief roadside altercation with a man identified by the victim’s family as a Delhi Police head constable.

Police said the accused, identified as Neeraj, fled immediately after the firing and remains absconding. A murder case has been registered, and teams have been deployed to trace him.

The incident took place around 2.30 am when Pandav Kumar and his friend Krishan were standing on a village road after attending a birthday gathering at a friend’s house. According to investigators, the two had stepped outside and were speaking with the hosts before leaving when Neeraj, who lives across the road, came out and entered into an argument with them.

Police said Neeraj allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot Pandav in the chest from point-blank range. The force of the shot was such that the bullet pierced through Pandav’s body and then hit Krishan, who was seated behind him on a motorcycle, on the right side of his abdomen.

Both men were rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors declared Pandav dead, while Krishan is undergoing treatment. Investigators said the exact trigger behind the confrontation is still being pieced together.

Pandav’s family has alleged that the accused is posted as a head constable with Delhi Police, though police officials have not officially confirmed his designation. They said the firing was completely unprovoked and accused the man of opening fire without any serious cause.

The killing sparked anger in the village, with family members and local residents gathering outside Jaffarpur Kalan police station demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.

Pandav’s mother, inconsolable outside the police station, said her son had left home only to attend a child’s birthday celebration and never returned. She said he was innocent and was working day and night to support the family.

Relatives said Pandav was the sole earning member of the household and worked as a delivery partner for a food application. His income, they said, was sustaining the family’s daily expenses. “My brother had no dispute with anyone. He was shot from very close range. The bullet even injured another boy. We only want the accused arrested quickly,” a family member said.

Police said they received information from the hospital at around 2.30 am about two men admitted with gunshot wounds, one of whom had already succumbed. A police team then rushed to the hospital and later to the crime scene to begin collecting evidence.

Officials said Neeraj is originally from Bahu Akbarpur village in Meham area of Haryana’s Rohtak district and has been living alone in Jaffarpur Kalan for the past 15 years. Crime teams inspected the scene, and statements of party hosts, local residents and the injured witness are being recorded to reconstruct the moments leading up to the shooting.

Investigators are also examining whether the accused used a licensed or illegal weapon and whether there had been any previous friction between him and the victim’s group. For now, the central question troubling police is how an ordinary late-night conversation after a birthday party ended in a close-range killing on a quiet village street. With the accused still on the run, pressure is mounting on police as the victim’s family continues to demand swift arrest and strict action.