Delhi: 24-yr-old killed over ‘ancestral deity feud’

Two of the accused, Rahul and Raj Kumar, held his arms while their brother Ravi repeatedly stabbed him with a knife, investigators privy to the case details said.

A 24-year-old man was stabbed to death by three brothers outside his home in south Delhi’s Arjun Camp near Mahipalpur on Tuesday evening, in full view of his mother, following a months-long feud over which family’s ancestral deity was superior, police said on Wednesday.

A 24-year-old victim, Sunny. (HT PHOTO)

The victim, Sunny, was attacked barely a few feet from his jhuggi as he returned from the market. Two of the accused, Rahul and Raj Kumar, held his arms while their brother Ravi repeatedly stabbed him with a knife, investigators privy to the case details said.

Sunny’s mother, Asha, a domestic worker, tried to intervene but was shoved aside as her son collapsed in front of her, the officer cited above said.

Police said the brothers fled the scene after the assault. A case of murder has been registered and multiple teams have been formed to arrest them, said deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel.

Sunny, who worked as a sanitation worker at a hotel in Mahipalpur, had just turned into the narrow alley where his home stood when the brothers allegedly ambushed him. His mother had been chatting with a neighbour when they heard the commotion, according to the police.

“We were having tea when I noticed an argument erupting outside Asha’s house,” the neighbour said, asking not to be identified. “At first, she thought it was something minor. But when we saw them attacking Sunny, she ran forward. They pushed her away and then stabbed him. It was brutal. I can’t forget what I saw.”

According to police, the violence was yet another flare-up in a bitter and bizarre dispute between the two families over the primacy of their respective family deities. Though both belonged to the same religion and caste, tempers frequently boiled over during casual arguments about their ancestral temples—one in Rajasthan, the other in Haryana.

“The two groups had fought over the same issue in the past as well. The trouble-makers from both parties were held at the police station (lockup) a couple of times as preventive measures to maintain law and order. However, they continued this showdown,” added DCP Goel.

In fact, two days before the murder, the accused brothers had reportedly assaulted Sunny’s sibling, Pradeep. “We believe Tuesday’s attack was premeditated and in continuation of the earlier assault,” the investigator cited above said.

The fatal attack occurred around 5.30pm. Sunny’s sister called the police and rushed him to a nearby private hospital in Vasant Kunj, where he was declared brought dead.