Delhi: Out of juvenile home, boy killed for slapping neighbour

According to police, the juvenile, who lived with his family in central Delhi, had been arrested from west Delhi in 2018 on charges of murder. He was released from the correctional home last month and was studying in an open school. “The incident took place around 8 pm Friday when the juvenile was standing near an eatery. The accused, Deepak Rai (20), came to the spot in an inebriated condition and confronted him. He alleged that the victim had slapped his friend earlier, to show his supremacy in the area, and they entered into a heated argument over that incident,” a senior police officer said.

The victim’s friend, who was standing nearby, told police in his complaint that they started abusing each other and Rai whipped out a knife.

“He attacked the boy and stabbed him four times in his chest and abdomen. Locals fled as the boy was stabbed, but his friend tried to intervene. He was stabbed by Rai, twice,” an officer said.

Police were informed about the incident and the victims were taken to a nearby hospital, where the juvenile succumbed to his injuries. “Police called the FSL team of their district to lift evidence from the spot. A team led by SHO (Patel Nagar) Ramesh Lamba and inspector Pramod Anand identified the accused through their informers. A raid was conducted and he was arrested,” police said.

According to data provided by the Delhi Police, a fifth of all murders in Delhi in 2018 were a result of “sudden provocation over trivial issues”, suggesting how spur-of-the-moment incidents account for many killings. Of the 477 murder cases registered last year, 21% were because of “sudden provocation” and 38% due to personal enmity, Delhi Police data suggested.

“At the surface level, most murders that took place were due to petty reasons. But in the last two decades, because of expansion of population, there has been a rise in the number of murders due to petty reasons. The most we can do is educate people,” Special CP (Crime) Satish Golcha had said.