Kin of man beaten to death by 5 labourers in south Delhi allege gaps in police probe

New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) Family members of a man who was beaten to death allegedly by labourers on suspicion of theft inside an under-construction building in south Delhi have raised questions over the lack of clarity in police probe, and said he was a recovering addict, who had been showing improvement in recent months.

Gurmeet Singh alias Prince (25), from Andrews Ganj, was found with multiple injuries near the boundary wall of an under-construction site in South Extension on Friday. He was allegedly assaulted after being caught inside the premises at night, and five labourers have been apprehended in the case.

His aunt, Kaushalya, told PTI that her nephew visited Bangla Sahib on December 31 and returned home the same day. "He stayed at home till around 11 pm and then left. On January 2, police informed us that he was seriously injured, but did not tell us that he died," she said.

Gurmeet had been working as a sanitation worker at the same location where he was assaulted, she said. "I do not know what enmity anyone had with him. He had been working there since December 9 and was doing his job properly. The owner of the building had even bought him sandals," Kaushalya added.

The victim’s cousin, Neelam, said that Gurmeet struggled with addiction in the past but had been making efforts to reform. "For the past two months, he had improved. He was going to work regularly and returning home every day," she said.

She said her elder brother informed the family about the incident around 8 pm. "We went to the police station, but neither CCTV footage nor details about the accused were shown to us. He was beaten to death by labourers at the site," she alleged.

The family also said that they were unaware of why Gurmeet went to the under-construction site that night.

Police, however, said preliminary inquiry suggests he entered the site allegedly for theft and was confronted by labourers, leading to an altercation in which he was assaulted.

The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death. Police said further investigation is underway. PTI SSJ OZ OZ