A video showing a man purportedly vandalising some eateries carrying a meat cleaver, a sword and intimidating their staffers for extortion money in a busy market in northeast Delhi’s Welcome was widely shared on social media platforms on Thursday, prompting police to register a case and start probe.

Police said the man in the video, which is of Tuesday, has a criminal record.

In the video, he is also seen purportedly threatening the owners and staffers of the eateries if they failed to pay him “protection money”.

Several people are seen witnessing the incident but nobody tried to stop him or call the police, they said.

In the two-minute-long video, the suspect, wearing a black t-shirt and trouser, is seen vandalising the counter of an eatery. He then grabs a staffer of the shop by his hair and is seen threatening him. At one point in the video, the suspect trips and falls. He stands up and is seen returning to intimidate the shopkeepers. The suspect is further seen kicking utensils kept on a stove in another eatery.

Deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Atul Kumar Thakur on Thursday said that they have identified the suspect as Salman, a 28-year habitual offender having seven previous cases of attempt to murder, robbery, theft and arms act registered against him. None of the shopkeepers filed a police complaint till the police saw the viral video, identified the place and motivated the shopkeepers for filing a complaint, said the DCP.

“Salman was last arrested in May in an Arms Act case. He came out of jail around a month ago. We have already arrested his associate, Mahroof, who was also seen in the video. Salman is absconding and our teams are raiding his hideouts to nab him. He appears to be drunk at the time of the incident,” said DCP Thakur.

A case under sections 387 (Putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion), 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and section 27 of Arms Act was registered in connection with the incident.

Police said an inquiry has also been ordered to check for lapses, if any on the part of the local police.

First Published: Jul 05, 2019 05:12 IST