The youth (23), who was lynched on Friday in west Delhi’s Naraina on suspicion of stealing a mobile phone, was on his way to Gurugram in neighbouring Haryana to find a job with his elder brother’s help. He was caught, tied to a tree and beaten to death , his father alleged.
Four men have been arrested for allegedly lynching the victim, identified as Rahul, in a park in Naraina, said Deepak Purohit, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (west), Delhi Police. The victim was a resident of Jawahar Camp in Kirti Nagar, which is located across the railway tracks from Loha Mandi in Naraina.
“We were pestering Rahul to get a job after he was released from jail on August 17. On Thursday at around 8 pm, he packed his clothes and said he was leaving for Gurugram to meet his elder brother, who would help him find a job in his company,” said his father, Raghubir (58).
“I had spoken to my eldest son, who had said that he had found a job for Rahul in the same private company, where he works,” said Raghubir, a private security guard in west Delhi’s Mayapuri.
The family members said they had urged Rahul not to leave the house at around 8 pm on Thursday. “I had requested him to leave the next morning, but he was adamant to leave at that point in time. I regret for failing to stop him from leaving,” said Raghubir.
The police had received a call about the assault on Rahul at around 6 am on Friday and found him lying unconscious under a tree in the park. A coconut fibre rope and a white muffler found at the spot showed that Rahul was tied to the tree. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital allegedly due to the thrashing he had received with wooden sticks and iron rods.
Raghubir said that it wasn’t the first time Rahul was assaulted. “About two months ago, Rahul was left with a fractured arm after he was roughed up following a quarrel,” said Raghubir.
“The police would catch him, whenever there was any crime in our neighbourhood. He could be involved in quarrels and fights, but not in thefts. He was the son of a security guard, who prevents thefts,” Raghubir added.
Though police said Rahul was named in a dozen crimes and jailed thrice in the past, they did not find any evidence that he had stolen the mobile phone for which he was lynched.
He was sent to jail last in mid-July and released on August 17 for allegedly carrying a knife and a pistol.
Rahul is survived by his parents, elder brother, wife and two children.
He had got married four years ago.
