NEW DELHI: The murder case of lab technician Rinku Sharma, who was beaten up and stabbed by a group of men after being dragged out of his house in Delhi's Mangolpuri on Wednesday, is likely to be transferred to Crime Branch of Delhi Police.
The fifth suspect in the case, Tajuddin - an ex-home guard - has been arrested and along with four others taken on three days' police remand. The primary line of probe, sources said, revolves around verifying reports of past enmity between Sharma and the accused men. A heavy police deployment remains in the tense locality.
Charges fly in Mangolpuri case
Earlier, Tajuddin was attached with the local police station. Sharma’s family claimed that he was a police informer and used to flaunt his clout and threaten them. They will be questioned individually and then confronted with their versions. Police were told that trouble had been brewing for some time. The FIR, which was accessed by TOI, validates this as it talks about a brawl between Sharma and the accused during Dussehra regarding a religious programme at the Ram temple park in the locality.
The family’s complaint mentions that the accused would often taunt Sharma. They were also miffed with his involvement in Ram Mandir-related activities. They further claimed that the accused assaulted other family members too, apart from a neighbour, Akash, when he tried to intervene in the fight.
The accused, however, told police that Sharma and he had opened a restaurant in Rohini Sector 2, but they shut shop after incurring losses. They used to quarrel often and blame each other for the failure. A similar brawl occurred at a restaurant during a birthday party on Wednesday evening after which the accused planned to kill Sharma.
However, Sharma’s family claimed they were never in business together and that the accused was concocting stories. Locals told police that both the accused and the victim had cordial relations till sometime ago and Sharma had donated blood for one of them too. Police are verifying these claims.
Sharma’s family showed videos about how the accused men, armed with sticks and knives, had barged into their house. They even allegedly tried to blow up the house by banging the gas cylinder on the floor. A video shows Sharma’s mother trying to snatch back the cylinder and pleading for mercy. Manu, Sharma’s brother, alleged that one of the accused, Zahid, had even come to the hospital to attack them.
While Delhi Police had initially denied a communal angle to the murder, on Friday spokesperson DCP Chinmoy Biswal said that investigation was being conducted to explore all angles. “We are in touch with the family and are looking into whatever information is coming to the fore,” he added.
A heavy police deployment exists in the area to prevent communal skirmish. A probe is also on to ascertain if more people were involved in the crime. Of the four men arrested earlier, two are tailors, while the other two claim to be students.