The two accused who killed the 40-year-old truck driver.

A day after a 40-year-old truck driver, who was searching for his missing child, was allegedly beaten to death by two brothers in Okhla, police said the accused, who were drunk, thought he was accusing them of kidnapping his son.

DCP (Southeast) RP Meena said, “On Thursday, around midnight, Krishan Meena was unloading some material from his truck in Okhla when his son, Rahul, got out.” The victim spotted the accused, Dheeraj and Rakesh Arora, nearby and asked for help but they hurled abuses at him and allegedly beat him up in front of his seven-month pregnant wife.

The accused, drivers of a Gramin Sewa van, were arrested on Friday. During questioning, they told police they were drinking after work when Krishan approached them to ask if they had seen his son. They claimed they hadn’t, but Krishan did not leave, and they thought he was accusing them of kidnapping his child.

“Dheeraj got angry and caught hold of the man. Rakesh took an iron rod and hit Krishan on his head. The duo continued assaulting Krishan till his wife, Pappi Devi, screamed for help. The brothers then fled,” said a police officer.

Later that night, a patrolling team found Devi sobbing on the side of the road and her husband lying in a pool of blood. Krishan was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Devi told police her husband travelled often on work and she accompanied him this time as she wanted to visit her mother’s house in Uttar Pradesh. The family left from Jaipur, where they stay, on Thursday. After delivering a consignment, Krishan was to drop his wife and child at his in-laws’ home.

During investigation, a security guard in the area told police he had seen a man fleeing the crime scene. Police then found that the brothers had parked their vans near an automobile showroom and caught Rakesh there. Dheeraj was later arrested from his house.

On Friday, the police team had found the child, Rahul, near a shop in Pul Prahladpur. Devi and her son have returned home, said police.