Delhi: Dog owner shoots man dead for throwing stone at his pet

NEW DELHI: A man whipped out a pistol and allegedly shot dead his neighbour for throwing a stone at his dog in northeast Delhi’s Welcome colony on Sunday afternoon.

The victim, Affak, had thrown a stone at the dog for barking at him while he was on the way to a hospital where his son had been taken for treatment of a finger injury. Mehtab, the dog’s owner, is a history-sheeter in the area.

Affak’s family said the dog had tried to bite him, after which he threw a small stone to scare it away. The dog had squealed, which prompted Mehtab to come running out of the house. He accused Affak of trying to kill the dog. While Aafak was trying to leave, Mehtab suddenly pulled out a pistol and shot him from behind. The bullet pierced his torso.

Police said Mehtab had fled the house along with his parents and wife, leaving the dog tied to the gate. Police said he has more than 20 cases of robbery and extortion against him and had recently come out of jail.

Hearing gunshots, neighbours rushed out and found Affak lying bleeding on the road. He was taken to GTB Hospital in an auto rickshaw where he died.

Neighbours informed Affak’s mother-in-law, after which the police were called. DCP (north-east) Atul Thakur said that the incident was reported from Janta Colony in Welcome area. Affak worked as a tailor at a garments factory in Ghonda, his father-in-law Mohammad Shaukat said. He has three children and was the only earning member of the family.

“This was not the first time Mehtab has got into an argument with someone over the dog. He used to feed the dog as a result it started staying at his house. The animal had a tendency to snap at passersby. If anyone protested against this, Mehtab would confront them,” said Shaukat. Police say that they did not find any injuries on the dog during the inquiry.