21-year-old stabbed to death in Delhi's Jaitpur; eight held

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) A 21-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly after he tried to intervene in a dispute involving his friend and a group of youths over an issue linked to a girl in Delhi's Jaitpur area, an official said on Friday.

According to the police, the incident occurred late Thursday night when the victims went to meet another group for a reconciliation meeting following a dispute over social media posts.

Police received a PCR call at 11.18 pm. Upon reaching, the police team found three injured men and shifted them to the hospital.

One of the victims, Krishna Sahu (21), sustained multiple stab injuries to the chest, shoulder and back. He was declared brought dead at the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

Another victim, Sunny (21), suffered injuries to the abdomen and thigh and was undergoing treatment. The third victim, Prince (19), was discharged after receiving first aid for minor injuries.

Police in a statement said that preliminary inquiry revealed that the clash was triggered by a personal dispute involving a mutual acquaintance. The conflict began when one of the accused, identified as Deepak, shared different posts on social media directed at Prince.

While both sides had agreed to meet to resolve the matter amicably, a verbal altercation broke out during the meeting. The accused allegedly attacked the victims with knives before fleeing.

"So far, we have arrested three men and apprehended five juveniles. The accused have been identified as Deepak Kumar (22), alleged to be one of the main conspirators, who initiated the altercation. Ashish (24), who was identified as one of the accused wielding a sharp-edged weapon during the assault and Neeraj Kumar, who provided logistic support and helped the group gather at a point. Additionally, five juveniles involved in the assault have been apprehended," a senior police officer said.

Police said that an FIR under section 103(1) (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 109(1) (attempt to murder), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS has been registered and further investigation was taken up.

Police also said that they have recovered the weapon used in the crime, and multiple teams have been formed to track down the remaining associates linked to the incident.

Meanwhile, sources in the police said that one of the accused, Deepak Kumar, used to like a 15-year-old girl, and she was friends with Prince.

"Deepak used to abuse Prince online. Prince discussed the matter with his friends and even with Kumar. They mutually decided to gather at the park to sort out the matter amicably. Prince, a friend of the deceased Sahu, asked him to join in the discussion, and they went to the park," said the source.

He further said that a verbal spat ensued between them when one of the accused stabbed Sahu multiple times, injuring him badly.

Forensic experts and a crime team examined the spot, and police analysed CCTV footage from the vicinity to identify the suspects. Initially, the police had arrested Aashish, who is a graphic designer and a 17-year-old juvenile.

The father of the deceased, Shiv Kumar, said his son left home with three friends around 10 pm after speaking on the phone. "We have no idea about what happened there. We want strict action against those who killed my son," Kumar said. PTI BM HIG