NEW DELHI: The murder of a 55-year-old Unani practitioner in southeast Delhi was a result of just a petty argument between the victim and the accused, the Delhi Police said on Friday after arresting two more juveniles for the doctor’s killing.
A senior Delhi Police officer, while speaking to TNIE, ruled out the theory of the involvement of any nursing home staff in the brutal murder and said it was just the main accused’s fake pride of machismo or gangsterism.
“The accused had been changing his version but as of now it seems that the incident stemmed from a disagreement the day before,” the officer told TNIE.
The police have completely worked out the case and apprehended in total three individuals (all juveniles), including the mastermind who planned and abetted the killing of the Unani practitioner.
“This juvenile met with an accident on the intervening night of September 20-21 in Faridabad and came to Nima Hospital for treatment. He was accompanied by another juvenile. Dr Javed Akhtar gave him treatment and subsequently raised a bill of Rs 1,200,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Rajesh Deo said.
The high cost of treatment irked the juvenile following which he entered into a heated argument with the doctor and finally paid Rs 400. The cops found out that the doctor had rebuked and humiliated him before he left the nursing home.
Ten days later, the same juvenile again visited the Nima nursing home along with his aunt to get the bandages removed. At this juncture, the nursing staff and the doctor refused to give treatment and again rebuked him.
The 17-year-old minor left the place in anger and decided to take revenge for this humiliation. “He instigated his two friends - both minors - to eliminate Dr Javed and even provided them with a country-made pistol,” the officer said.
As one of the accused mastermind’s friends got a toe injury, they went to the same nursing home to get treated. In reality, they were conducting reconnaissance of the place. The next day, they went again and gunned down the doctor.
After the incident, he allegedly uploaded a post on a social media platform with his photograph and a caption: “Kar diya 2024 mein murder” (Finally committed murder in 2024).
The cops put him under surveillance, traced him and finally nabbed the accused juvenile from Anand Vihar area. Two more were apprehended by the southeast district police.
All the accused minors were produced before a Juvenile Justice Board which sent them to an Observation Home. The cops have also seized the weapon of offence.