Delhi-murder: "I carried my son, he died in my lap"
A 23-year-old wedding photographer was stabbed in front of his parents on a busy street in West Delhi, allegedly by the family members of the Muslim woman he was courting. The victim, Ankit Saxena, passed away in his mother's arms on the way to the hospital. Now, West Delhi is in the grips of communal tension over the murder. Here's all about it.
Onlooking bystanders offered no help to Ankit's family
"My husband and I kept begging people to arrange a vehicle to rush my son to a hospital, but no one helped. E-rickshaw and auto drivers would stop, take a look and leave," said Kamlesh, Ankit's mother.
Saxena was stabbed after confrontation escalated
Saxena was in a relationship with Shehzadi, but her family was against the relationship and had fears of Shehzadi eloping with Saxena. According to the police, Shehzadi's parents, uncle, and 16-year-old brother were opposed to the relationship and confronted Saxena about it. Shehzadi's family members accused Saxena of abducting her, and ultimately slit his throat with a knife when the confrontation escalated.
Ankit's father, who's a heart patient, went into shock
"My husband is a heart patient and was in shock. All we could do was plead with them. They kept asking me where their daughter was," added Kamlesh.
The accused have all been apprehended
The police, who arrived at the crime scene at least thirty minutes late, have apprehended Shehzadi's parents, uncle, and 16-year-old brother. The minor was sent to a juvenile home while the rest of the suspects were remanded to 14 days judicial custody. The police's delay in arriving at the crime scene, however, allowed communal outrage to manifest itself.
Large number of local residents started demanding swift justice
Communal tension spread across Raghubir Nagar in West Delhi after the crime. Large numbers of Hindus gathered outside Saxena's house, demanding swift justice. While Saxena's mother was desperately trying to help her son, local residents nabbed Shehzadi's uncle and beat him up. By evening, police had deployed a commando unit and other police personnel to stymie any brewing communal violence.
