In an act, which could send a chill down the spine of even the most stone-hearted person, a 23-year-old photographer was stabbed to death in Delhi on Thursday, February 1, evening by the father of the girl he intended to marry.
Ankit Saxena, the victim, was killed on a busy street in Delhi's Raghuveer Nagar around 8.30 pm by the girl's family, who kicked and punched him and stabbed him to death. The accused – the girl's father, uncle and a few relatives – then also slit his throat with a chopper and knives, reported the Times of India.
When Ankit's mother tried to help him, she was attacked by the girl's mother.
The murder is said to be a case of honour killing as Ankit and the girl were from different communities and her family objected to the relationship. The girl is said to be 20 years old and is a college student. It is also being reported that heavy security has been deployed in the area as frears of communal tensions grow.
The police have now arrested the girl's father, uncle and mother and they have been sent to Tihar jail. The girl's brother, who is a minor, too has been detained and sent to a correction home. However, the police are expected to request the court to treat him as an adult, keeping in mind the crime.
Speaking of the murder, the police told India Today: "The motive behind the murder is clear as his purse and mobile were still on him. We have registered a case under Section 30 (punishment for murder). We are in the process of obtaining CCTV footage from the area, even as locals are being questioned."
Meanwhile, the girl has said that she had no idea of her family's plans and said that she was, in fact, supposed to meet him when Ankit was killed. "I was waiting for him at the Tagore Garden Metro station. He was on his way home to get his motorbike when someone informed me that he had been stabbed. My father and uncle have done all this," TOI quoted the statement that she gave to the police.
She has been provided security and sent to a shelter home after she said that she too may be killed if she went back to her residence.
What Ankit's family said
The 23-year-old deceased's family explained that Ankit was returning home from work at the time, but had decided to go back to his studio after receiving a call from the girl's father.
"After some time, a youth from our neighbourhood came running to our house saying that Ankit was being beaten by a few people at the chowk on the main road. I rushed out and found the girl's father and uncle kicking him as he lay on the ground," his mother, Kamlesh, revealed.
"I tried to stop them, but the girl's mother pushed me to the footpath and kicked me on my chest. The family accused my son of abducting their daughter. I told them my son was innocent and that they could call the police to find out. I even asked them to search my house. They refused to listen and kept beating my son," she added.
Eyewitnesses also explained that Ankit tried to fight back but fell unconscious after he was stabbed.
"He called for help while they were stabbing him and then fell unconscious. His mother tied her chunni on his throat to stop the blood flow and kept calling for help. But passersby, who had stopped to click photographs, did not help her. No one even called the police control room" Ankit's father Yashpal said.
Ankit's mother also said that there were several onlookers but no one helped him while he was being beaten up or after he was stabbed.
"There were dozens of people watching my son get beaten up, but none of them dared to save him. My son was a body builder himself, but he was helpless when the killers caught and killed him. The sight of the woman's father wielding a big kukri knife must have scared others," Hindustan Times quoted her as saying.
She also said that she and her husband begged people to help and arrange for a vehicle so that Ankit could be taken to the hospital, but no one stepped forward. "E-rickshaw and auto drivers would stop, take a look and leave," she added.
Ankit was then taken to the DDU hospital but was declared brought dead.
