Congress leader's murder: Delhi Police analysing CCTV footage, questioning suspects

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Delhi Police on Saturday said the accused in the murder of a local Congress leader in south Delhi's Begumpur area will be arrested soon, as multiple teams are analysing CCTV camera footage from the area and questioning suspects.

Lakhpat Singh Kataria, 55, a property dealer from Begumpur, was on a morning walk near the Vijay Mandal Park on Friday when he was intercepted by two unidentified men.

A verbal altercation quickly turned violent, with one attacker striking him with a bat-like object before opening fire. At least three shots were fired, triggering panic among others in the park.

"Multiple teams have been formed. We are analysing CCTV camera footage and are questioning some people. The accused will be arrested soon," a senior police officer said.

Police said the assailants fled the spot on a motorcycle. A PCR call reporting the firing was received at the Malviya Nagar Police Station at 9.53 am on Friday. Kataria was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

A case has been registered, and bullet casings along with other forensic evidence have been collected from the site. Investigators said the way the crime was executed suggests a recce had been done, as Kataria took the same route daily.

On Saturday, police handed over the body to the family after the post-mortem. His son, Shivam, returned from London on Saturday afternoon, relatives said.

While the motive remains unclear, police are probing angles, including a property dispute.

Kataria is survived by his wife Veervati and son. Preliminary reports had indicated that he was involved in a land dispute with local slum dwellers in Begumpur, though police have not confirmed this as the motive. PTI SGV BM RHL