New Delhi: In an act of senseless agression, a policeman in Delhi shot dead a 21-year-old food delivery agent and injured his friend after a minor altercation in the wee hours of Sunday.
The incident occurred at Jaffarpur Kalan in the Dwarka area where Pandav Kumar and his friend Krishan had gone to attend a birthday party.
The party ended around 2.30 am following which Kumar and Krishan were chatting with the hosts on the street. The policeman, identified as Neeraj, lived nearby. He approached the group and picked up an argument over a trivial issue.
According to eye-witnesses, Neeraj suddenly whipped out a pistol and shot Kumar in the chest from point blank range. The bullet pierced his body and hit Krishan who was seated behind him on the motorcycle.
Both were rushed to hospital where Kumar was declared brought dead. Krishan is undergoing treatment, PTI reported.
There is confusion about where Neeraj is posted. While the police claim
s that he he is posted with the Delhi Police Special Cell, Kumar’s family said he is a head constable with the Delhi Police.
A case has been registered against the absconding accused and efforts are on to nab him, the police said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Kumar’s family alleged that Neeraj was in an inebriated condition. The firing was unprovoked and that he immediately fled from the spot after shooting, they claimed.
Neeraj objected to Kumar standing on the road with his friends and asked him about his caste, the family said.
“The moment he got to know that we are from Bihar, he opened fire and fled,” Kumar’s mother Meena Devi told reporters.
“I want justice for my son. He was innocent and had gone to attend a birthday party. He was working hard to support the family. The accused should be given strict punishment,” she said.
Kumar was the sole earning member of his family, a relative said.
Family members of the deceased and locals gathered at the Jaffarpur Kalan police station following the incident, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and strict action against him.
Neeraj is a native of Bahu Akbarpur village in Haryana’s Rohtak and has been living alone for the past 15 years, the police said. They are probing the sequence of events that led to the altercation, while a search has been launched for the accused.