Mystery shrouds death of Kerala boy reportedly hit by juveniles in Delhi over goods from pan shop

Distraught relatives who rush to the hospital are greeted by the news of his untimely death
Mystery shrouds death of Kerala boy reportedly hit by juveniles in Delhi over goods from pan shop
Mystery shrouds death of Kerala boy reportedly hit by juveniles in Delhi over goods from pan shop
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Conflicting reports have emerged over the death of 14-year old Rajat Krishnan Menon who was allegedly thrashed by a couple of minors in Mayur Vihar Phase-III in Delhi on Wednesday.

Here’s a rough reworking of events that led to the untimely tragic death of the teenager:

- A Class IX student of Sawan Public School in Central Delhi, Rajat leaves home around 6pm on Wednesday along with three of his friends -Hrithik, Digvijay and Aryan – for a game of snooker at a local pool parlour.

- While returning on Rajat’s scooter, they are accosted by a couple of boys, whose father, Alok Pandit owns a nearby pan shop.

- The boys accuse Rajat and pals of having misappropriated some goods from the kiosk without paying for them. They were also apparently miffed over some prank Rajat had played on them around a month ago. Rajat and pals hotly deny the accusation, telling them it was a case of mistaken identity, and that another friend could have done it.

- The two groups seem to have a long-standing dispute over minor issues. Not finding the one who supposedly flicked the items from the kiosk, they take out their fury on Rajat.

- They allegedly assault Rajat and also drag him to the district park close by, where he is purportedly beaten up further. Rajat’s friends flee the scene, petrified they too will be attacked. Locals say that none frequent the park after dark, as it is known to be frequented by anti-social elements.

- The friends later inform Rajat’s family who rush to the local police station to trace their missing son.

- Meanwhile CCTV footage emerges of the two brothers rushing a seemingly unconscious/lifeless Rajat on a bike to a clinic close to the pan kiosk. When admission is refused, they rush him to Metro hospital which too denies permission, citing lack of ventilator support, following which he is taken to the Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital where he is declared brought dead.

- Distraught relatives who rush to the hospital are greeted by the news of his untimely death.

- Following police inaction even after many hours have passed after the occurrence of the tragedy, a local mob goes about destroying the kiosk. All shops close down in the area, fearing a backlash.

- Reports also abound of how the kiosk used to supply drugs to youngsters in the area with the tacit support from the law-keepers who –local Malayalis allege- therefore chose to look the other way in this matter.

- A regional news channel also reposts how one of the sons (the shop-owner has five sons of which the youngest is 8 years, all of whom took turns in manning the kiosk) was allowed to take away all the goods from the kiosk, despite policemen being present in the area. This was apparently before the mob went on the rampage.

- Following continued pressure from the Delhi Malayali Association, the police take the kiosk owner and two of his minor sons into custody and who would be produced in court on Friday. A case of murder was registered under IPC Section 302.

- Initial post-mortem reports terms Rajat’s death as unnatural. No external injuries were found on the body. A detailed examination is expected to be undertaken to ascertain whether internal injuries sustained had caused death.

Speaking to The News Minute, Prasannan, a close family-friend of the deceased, said that the family now awaited the detailed medical report to confirm the exact cause of death.

The bereaved family chose to hold the cremation at the Ghazipur Cremation Centre around 5.30pm on Thursday, after it was decided that the aged grandparents back home at Palakkad in Kerala should be spared the shock of having to bid goodbye to their beloved grandson who had spent his holidays with them hardly a week ago.

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