Delhi: Vegetable vendor absconding in murder case held

New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) A vegetable seller has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 19-year-old youth who was shot dead in Delhi’s Bhalswa Dairy area after evading arrest for about a year, police said on Thursday.

Police said the accused, identified as Vakeel Malik, had been absconding since the incident in October 2024 and was declared a proclaimed offender by a court. He was arrested near the Ballabhgarh Metro Station in Haryana late on Tuesday night following a tip-off.

The shooting occurred on October 15 2024, when Naushad (19) and Asif (29) sustained gunshot injuries due to a long-standing feud. While Asif survived, Naushad succumbed during treatment, leading to the addition of murder charges in the case, police noted further.

Investigators identified three men — Shakeel, his brother, Vakeel, and their accomplice, Prince — as the accused. While Shakeel was arrested earlier and is currently in judicial custody, Vakeel had been evading arrest for nearly a year, a senior police officer said.

Upon interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted his involvement in the firing and murder case. He was apprehended after a brief chase near Ballabhgarh Metro Station, the officer added.

Vakeel, who sells vegetables at Palam Subzi Mandi, studied up to Class 10 and lives with his wife and three children in Bhalswa Dairy. PTI SSJ SSJ SMV MPL MPL