NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Friday ruled out any communal angle in the murder of a 25-year-old lab technician in Outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri area. Police said the crime took place over business rivalry and any other motive alluded to the incident is factually wrong. The sleuths have arrested five people in connection with the incident.
The statement from police came after some outfits, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, gave communal colour to the incident. Also, an online campaign on Twitter with the hashtag ‘Justice for Rinku Sharma’ started trending. A picture of the deceased lying on stretcher with a sharp knife stabbed to his back has also gone viral. According to the police, the incident took place on Wednesday night. “A scuffle ensued at a birthday party, during which victim Rinku Sharma got stabbed.
He later succumbed to injuries at a hospital. A case under relevant sections was registered and all the accused were arrested,” said DCP Outer Delhi. The police arrested four people on Thursday and held one more person on Friday. The four accused held on Thursday were Zahid, Mehtab, Danish and Islam, all residents of Mangolpuri.
“We have made the fifth arrest, of one Tajuddin, and are ascertaining his role. Further investigation is on,” said Sudhanshu Dhama, Additional DCP, Outer Delhi. “A quarrel had started during the 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 DCP further said.
Rinku Sharma was working at a hospital and also volunteering for Bajrang Dal. He was engaged in collecting funds for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, said the deceased’s brother Mannu Sharma. Mannu, who is also an active member of the Bajrang Dal, said they held a rally for collecting funds for the temple, following which they had a quarrel with the accused men. He said the threatened accused had threatened Rinku then.
“There was no business rivalry. My brother was a lab technician and he even gave blood to one their family members in emergency,” he said. Condemning the incident, the Delhi BJP demanded stringent
action against the accused persons and asked the Delhi government provide a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the deceased’s family and a government job to his brother.