Two women members of a family that allegedly stabbed a 51-year-old businessman to death for objecting to his daughter’s harassment in Moti Nagar on Sunday have been arrested for their role in the murder, police said Wednesday.

The newly arrested include the mother and sister of the three siblings who were earlier apprehended along with their father for the murder.

“We made the arrests after recording the statement of the businessman’s daughter who revealed that the two women had held her by the hair and provided the knife (the murder
weapon) to the male members of the family,” Monika Bhardwaj, deputy commissioner of police (west), said.

On Wednesday, the Basai Darapur village of Moti Nagar continued to remain tense as the Tyagi community announced that they would hold a ‘maha panchayat’ in the village on Thursday.

However, no untoward incident was reported through the day as the businessman’s relatives continued to maintain that the murder had nothing to do with religion and urged people to not communalise the crime.

“We reiterate that it was a Muslim family that rescued my cousin and rushed the injured people to the hospital. If one Muslim family was responsible for one person’s murder, another Muslim family was responsible for preventing more deaths. Members of the Muslim family that helped us would have given their life for my uncle,” a nephew of the dead businessman said.

The nephew said his grandfather and friends had constructed the “only mosque in the village” many years ago.

On Wednesday, the businessman’s family met a host of political leaders, including home minister Rajnath Singh, and attended a candlelight march at India Gate.

“All we want is that just punishment is given to the killers and the businessman’s son and daughter get educational and job opportunities. Their dreams of higher education and a bright future have been shattered by my uncle’s death. They deserve a fresh start,” he said.

The DCP said she and the joint commissioner of police (western range), Madhup Tiwari, visited the family on Wednesday and have written to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) for compensation to the surviving relatives.

“We have been receiving full support from the family in the investigation and in maintaining peace and order in the neighbourhood,” the DCP said, adding that the police continue to be deployed there.

A protest demanding justice for the victim’s family was held near India Gate on Wednesday.

While the victim’s family also participated, they maintained that the incident was not a hate crime and would not like any community be targeted in their name.

First Published: May 16, 2019 06:23 IST