A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly by four men following a quarrel at a birthday party in outer Delhi's Mangolapuri area, police said on Thursday. The deceased, identified as Rinku Sharma, got into a heated argument with the four men at a birthday party on Wednesday night. The four accused later went to victim's house and stabbed him with a knife, they said. All the four accused — Zahid, Mehtab, Danish and Islam — were arrested on Thursday, police said.
Though reports, as well as leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), claimed that Sharma was associated with the organisation and was killed because he was collecting donations for Ram Temple at Ayodhya, the police denied these allegations and said both the parties shared rivalry over their eatery business which ran into losses and had to be shut down.
As per a report in the Times of India, Rinku's family has alleged that he was on the "group’s radar" for the past six months. Rinku's brother told Indian Express that Rinku worked as a lab technician and did not have an eatery business. Rinku's brother Mannu, who is also a member of the VHP, has alleged, "We have been having issues with the accused since last year. In August, we organised a small event for Ram Mandir. They were angered by this but we ignored them."
On Friday, Delhi police tweeted that the murder took place after a scuffle between the two groups over the shutting down of a restaurant.
“On 10.2.21 eve, a scuffle ensued during a birthday party in the area of Mangolpuri,following which Victim Rinku Sharma got injured in stabbing, who later succumbed to injury during treatment. A case under relevant sections was registered & all 04 accused were arrested (sic),” the official account of Deputy Commissioner of Police Outer Delhi said in a tweet.
On 10.2.21 eve,a scuffle ensued during a birthday party in the area of Mangolpuri,following which Victim Rinku Sharma got injured in stabbing, who later succumbed to injury during treatment.A case under relevant sections was registered & all 04 accused were arrested@DelhiPolice
— @DCPOUTERDELHI (@dcpouter) February 12, 2021
“So far, during investigation it has surfaced that quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant. All persons are known to each other and live in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong,” the police added in another tweet.
All persons are known to each other and live in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong. @LtGovDelhi @CPDelhi @DelhiPolice @ssyips
— @DCPOUTERDELHI (@dcpouter) February 12, 2021
According to the police, on Wednesday night, when both the victim and accused men were attending the birthday party, an argument broke out between them over their food joints in Rohini. They also slapped and threatened each after which they left. The two parties had similar tussles over the same issue sometime back as well, police said.
Later, the four men went to Sharma's house where the victim, along with his elder brother, was already standing outside with sticks. A scuffle broke out between the two sides again during which the accused stabbed Sharma and fled from the spot, a senior police officer said.
The victim was then rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, he said.
During an enquiry, it emerged that both the parties had opened their respective eateries in nearby areas in Rohini in October last year. But both were incurring losses and had to be closed down. The two parties blamed each other for the losses and often had heated arguments over the issue, he added.
Sudhanshu Dhama, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) said, "All the four men have been arrested and a case has been registered against them."
However, as per a report in the Times of India, Rinku's family has alleged that he was on the "group’s radar" for the past six months. Rinku's brother told Indian Express that Rinku worked as a lab technician and did not have an eatery business. Rinku's brother Mannu, who is also a member of the VHP, has alleged, "We have been having issues with the accused since last year. In August, we organised a small event for Ram Mandir. They were angered by this but we ignored them."
With PTI inputs