NEW DELHI: An off-duty sub-inspector was killed near his house in east Delhi after a scuffle with his neighbour, a criminal, police said on Monday. The accused, Vijay Singh, was arrested under Section 304 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, police said. The victim has been identified as Raj Kumar. He was posted at the communications unit of the police.
The accused is a known history-sheeter, with 18 cases of robbery, snatching, among others, registered against him. He was arrested in January and was in judicial custody till he was released in March, Ved Prakash Surya, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said.
The incident took place on Sunday night when Kumar was taking a stroll near his house after dinner. “The officer was strolling with his phone in hand, while the accused sat nearby. Fearing that he was being filmed, the accused started hurling abuses at him. Soon, a quarrel ensued and the two came to blows. The accused assaulted the officer, resulting in his death,” Surya said.
The accused is a resident of Kasturba Nagar and so was the victim.
“After the scuffle, the officer went home. From there, he left for the nearby Garg Hospital on a scooty, with his daughter riding pillion. However, on the way, he fainted. His daughter managed to get him to the hospital where doctors suggested that he be shifted to Max Hospital in Patparganj,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Meghna Yadav said.
However, he was declared dead on arrival at the Max Hospital. “The body had a cut below the chin and a blunt injury mark on the chest. The accused has been arrested. An investigation is on,” the DCP said.
‘Who’ll protect us if cops are not safe?’
Citing the death of a sub-inspector in east Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked who will take responsibility for the safety of Delhiites when police officers themselves are not safe in the city. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, on Monday, demanded a thorough probe into the sub inspector’s death, saying the society has no place for ‘goondaism’.