A 35-year-old Muslim man was shot dead while allegedly trying to rescue his teenage son from an assault in northeast Delhi's Nand Nagri area on Tuesday, reported PTI.
According to a police official cited by the news agency, the victim, Mohammed Umar Din, was shot on Tuesday evening when he rushed to a spot after receiving a distress call from his 15-year-old son, who was allegedly being beaten up by a group of youths while returning home from tuition classes.
According to a report by Maktoob Media, relatives of the victim have alleged that the boy was targeted over his religious identity and that the attackers used anti-Muslim slurs during the assault.
Police said that the teenager, who is a Class 10 student, had seen some boys allegedly assaulting his friends and intervened, following which the group allegedly turned on him.
He then called his father for help.
When Umar Din and his wife Rabia reached the spot, an argument allegedly broke out.
Eyewitnesses told police that one of the accused pulled out a pistol and fired multiple rounds, including shots in the air, before firing at Umar Din.
Around four rounds were allegedly fired, one of which hit the victim in the chest.
Family members rushed him to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said.
Umar Din lived in Nand Nagri with his wife, five children and elderly father. Family members said the incident has left them devastated, adding that it coincided with his 17th wedding anniversary.
Meanwhile, the police have not made any arrests so far, though sources cited by PTI said some suspects have been identified, and one of the accused may be a juvenile.
Police said multiple teams are working to identify and apprehend the accused. They are scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas and questioning locals.
(With inputs from PTI)