Man stabbed to death on busy east Delhi road

A 27-year-old private security guard, who was not on duty, was killed after an unidentified man stabbed him at least six times with an ice pick while robbing him of his wallet at the busy Old Wazirabad Road near Khajuri Chowk in northeast Delhi on Thursday evening, police said.

The security guard, identified as Varun (single name), had gone to the Khajuri Chowk market to buy fruits and coconut water for his sister who was unwell. He was walking towards her home when the alleged attacker waylaid him and stabbed him multiple times for resisting his robbery attempt. The attacker then fled with Varun’s wallet containing some cash while the latter managed to save his phone from him, police said.

Despite bleeding profusely, Varun continued walking and waving his hands to seek help from passersby. A 25-year-old Good Samaritan named Karan Chaudhary, who works as a cyber security analyst in a software company in Gurugram, helped Varun. Police said that Chaudhary, who was riding his scooter home in Khajuri Khas, responded to the distress signal, helped Varun sit pillion and rushed him to a nearby private hospital.

However, as the hospital was not equipped to handle the seriousness of the wound, Varun was referred to Sushruta Trauma Centre in Civil Lines, where he was taken in an ambulance, nearly an hour after the stabbing. Varun succumbed to his injuries soon after he reached the trauma centre, said Chaudhary.

Deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said that at 5.20 pm on Thursday, the Khajuri Khas police station received a call that a man had been stabbed near Khajuri Chowk. The station house officer (SHO) along with other personnel reached the spot and learnt that the injured man was taken to a nearby nursing home in Bhajanpura. The police then went to the trauma centre, where they found that he died during treatment, said Tirkey.

“Varun was a resident of Sonia Vihar and his sister lives in Garhi Mendu. It appears that Varun was stabbed during the robbery. We are also looking into other possible motives,” said Tirkey, adding that the three stab wounds that Varun suffered in his chest and abdomen proved fatal for him. Police said there were at least three stab wounds on his wrist and forearm as well.

According to the DCP, the place where Varun was stabbed is a busy stretch during the day. A murder case was registered at the Khajuri Khas police station and teams were formed to identify and nab the suspect. The teams also looked for CCTV cameras around the crime spot but could not find any in which the stabbing was captured.

“We suspect the role of a drug addict. Many people are being rounded up for clues. We are hoping to identify and nab the killer,” added Tirkey.

Varun is survived by his parents and four married siblings, including three sisters. He worked as a security guard at a private firm near Shivaji Stadium. His sister, Karuna, was sick for the past few days. She had come to their elder sister Sandhya’s house in Bhajanpura.