Youth accused of stabbing employer hangs self

A 19-year-old youth accused of stabbing his employer in south-east Delhi’s Govindpuri allegedly committed suicide at his parents’ residence in Sangam Vihar on Wednesday, the police said on Thursday.

The police have registered a case in the alleged attack and have initiated inquest proceedings in the alleged suicide.

Rohit Shakya, who worked at an automobile spare parts shop, allegedly hung himself using his mother’s sari on Wednesday afternoon, the police said. He had allegedly stabbed his 55-year-old employer Premlata Gaba inside the shop earlier that morning, they added.

Ms. Gaba’s son called the police control room alleging that his mother had been attacked with a knife on the head by Rohit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East) Chinmoy Biswal said.

She is currently undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital.

“Ms. Gaba stated that Rohit had been working at her shop since the past one year. He had not been coming to work since the past three days. On Wednesday, he entered the shop on the pretext of taking a bed sheet. He attacked her without provocation and fled the spot,” Mr. Biswal said.

Rohit’s father Prempal (48) said he and his wife Reshma Devi received a call from the police around 1 p.m. on Wednesday stating that their son had stabbed a woman and was absconding.

“They asked me to come to the police station but I told them that it would take me two hours as I was at work. They asked me to call them once Rohit returned home,” he said.

Minutes later, Mr. Prempal reached home, where he allegedly saw his wife bringing in Rohit.

Locked son inside room

The parents asked him about the issue and then locked him inside a room.

“We called the police and told them that he was here with us. We were scared of the consequences if we did not follow police orders,” Mr. Prempal said.

Rohit kept banging on the door, after which the couple called the police again. However, they alleged that no officer turned up for at least an hour, they alleged.

When Rohit stopped banging on the door, the couple opened the door and found hanging from the ceiling fan. The deceased is survived by his wife, whom he had married about a year ago. Mr. Prempal said Rohit and his wife lived separately as the family was against their “love marriage”.