Gaurav Singhal, a 29-year-old gym owner, was stabbed to death by his father Rangalal on Wednesday night hours before his wedding, at Raju Park, Devli Extension in Tigri area in South Delhi. The police discovered a trail of blood which led them to the room where the body of the deceased was lying. It is inferred that the body was dragged to that room to prevent immediate discovery of the murder. The father of the victim fled from the crime scene who was held by the police from Jaipur later on Thursday night.
The victim, who was stabbed in the face and chest about 15 times with a sharp-edged weapon succumbed to his injuries. He was taken to the Max Hospital by his family members where he was declared brought dead. The body was then sent to AIIMS mortuary for autopsy. A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered.
The guests were waiting eagerly for the wedding procession to begin on the next day with loud music being played in the background. The bridegroom, however, was missing out on the celebrations. As soon as the grievous incident came to light, the happy occasion turned into that of a mourning one.
Ankit Chauhan, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of South Delhi said that the police received a PCR call from the Raju Park area at around 12:30 am on Thursday about the murder after which they rushed to the spot. The police also found some shoe marks of dissimilar sizes near the crime scene which led the police to suspect the involvement of any other person in the murder.
The police said that more than five teams were formed to carry out the probe and further investigations are going on.
Statements of the family members and relatives
The uncle of the deceased, Prakash Singh said that his nephew was engaged to a woman three days earlier and their wedding was scheduled on Thursday in Kakrola in South-west Delhi. He also added that they were nice people- the father, mother, and their two sons, Gaurav being the eldest.
Another uncle of the victim, Jawar, said that he received a call around midnight about the murder of his nephew, and by the time he reached, the family members of Gaurav had already taken him to the hospital. He also added that he does not suspect anyone from the family.
Jaiprakash Singhal, another family member said to the police that the entire family is clueless about the murderer, adding that they didn’t even hear any screams from the inside of the house as musical instruments were being played near the house.
Revelations by police investigation
However, the police via local enquiry found out that the father and the son did not retain a friendly relationship between themselves. Gaurav was in love with another woman and wanted to marry her but his family did not approve of their relationship. He did not want to accept the arranged marriage but was forced by his father. The father-son duo often engaged in fights regarding this issue.
According to the reports given by the police Gaurav used to insult his father every day as a result of which his father killed him out of rage. Rangalal, the accused has also told the police that he doesn’t regret his act and that he should have done it earlier.
Reaction of the relatives on the arrest
The victim’s relatives were taken aback by the arrest of the father as they had previously denied any possible connections of the family members. They informed the police that they did not suspect any foul play from the family’s side.
