New Delhi: A 26-year-old taxi driver was allegedly murdered by five people, including a juvenile, in a fare dispute over Rs 400 in northeast Delhi’s Sonia Vihar. Police said on Friday that three individuals took a cab ride but refused to pay the fare and started arguing with the driver. The trio then called two other friends and together, the group murdered the cabbie. Police have arrested a man and apprehended a juvenile in the case.
Police received information about the incident at 1.15am on Dec 18. The injured cab driver, Sandeep, a resident of Jahangirpuri, told the personnel posted at the Nanaksar police picket that he had picked up three passengers in Noida. At Second Pushta in Sonia Vihar, when the ride was completed, the passengers refused to pay the Rs 400 fare and began fighting with him. They then called two more men. Together they indulged in a physical fight with Sandeep, during which one of them stabbed the driver in the head and stomach. Police took Sandeep to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Rakesh Paweriya, DCP (Northeast), said that during the investigation, CCTV footage was checked to ascertain where the incident took place. “The route taken by the cab was checked, and it was found that the driver came from the direction of Khajoori Chowk and went toward A Block, Sonia Vihar. The incident took place near Second Pushta in Sonia Vihar,” Paweriya said.
The investigators tracked down Prateek, a resident of Kondli who had booked the cab. He disclosed that on Dec 17 night, he and his friends Deepanshu (alias Ashu), Rahul, Mayank, Nikhil and a minor had met in Kondli and consumed alcohol. Afterward, he booked the cab for Deepanshu, Rahul and Mayank to go home to Sonia Vihar.
“Deepanshu was then arrested at Prateek’s instance. Deepanshu disclosed that they did not want to pay the Rs 400 fare and began fighting with Sandeep about it,” a police officer disclosed. While they were fighting with Sandeep, they called Nikhil and the boy, who joined the scuffle. Nikhil stabbed the cab driver.
Police arrested Deepanshu and apprehended the juvenile. “Deepanshu has a prior case of attempted murder and common intention registered in Sonia Vihar. Efforts to arrest the remaining accused — Mayank, Rahul and Nikhil — are under way,” the officer said.
