Six arrested for murder in west Patel Nagar

Frustrated over a friend’s beating by his father, a group of six stabbed a 40-year-old shopkeeper to death in central Delhi to vent their anger, police said on Wednesday.

The main accused, Md Mehtab alias Raja (19), was held after an encounter on Tuesday, following which the minors were also apprehended, they said. The incident occurred on Monday night, when the group went to Rajender Kumar’s shop in West Patel Nagar and demanded free cigarettes.

Kumar was a resident of Baljeet Nagar. Following this, a scuffle broke out, and Kumar was stabbed to death, they said. Kumar was taken to the RML hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the police said. A case was registered under the relevant sections of the BNS.

Investigators collected forensic evidence, analysed CCTV footage and examined the dossiers of known offenders, through which the suspects were identified, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said that Mehtab was arrested after a brief exchange of fire with the police, leading to injury on his right leg on Tuesday night, following which the minors were also held.

The police said Mehtab was hiding under the Shadipur flyover and attempting to flee the city, adding that he was previously apprehended as a minor in a 2024 robbery-cum-attempt to murder case. He was taken to the RML hospital for treatment, and a separate case under the BNS and the Arms Act was also registered in connection with the firing incident, they said.

During interrogation, police found that the accused and the minors — all school dropouts from Farid Puri —operated as a group involved in theft and robbery. Two knives, a country-made pistol, cartridges and the clothes were recovered, they added.