Two murders in different parts of east Delhi were reported on Thursday but CCTV footage in both cases showed the same five suspects, all juveniles. This led to a manhunt that was completed within 13 hours with the police apprehending all the five minors.
At around 3 am, police in New Ashok Nagar got a call about an 'accident' near the Jal Board Treatment Plant in which one person was injured, officials said.
Deputy commissioner of police (East) Abhishek Dhania said in a statement the incident which was reported as an accident later turned out to be a murder.
"When teams reached near the treatment plant between Kondli Bridge and Dallupura turn, they noticed a large amount of blood on the main road," he said.
The injured man, in his mid-30s, was rushed to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the DCP said, adding that the victim had multiple stab wounds.
Following this, an FIR was registered in the matter. A probe was launched and the police started scanning CCTV footage from the nearby areas.
As New Ashok Nagar police was probing this case, the Ghazipur Police Station received a distress call around 11.30 am informing that a man was found dead behind a liquor shop in the Paper Market area, the officer said.
A team rushed to the spot and found the body at an empty plot. The deceased was later identified as 49-year-old Ramesh, a resident of Ghazipur's Kumhar Basti.
His son, Sunny, confirmed the identification, the DCP said.
The crime team inspected the scene and found three deep cut marks on the victim's left thigh, he said.
CCTV footage from the vicinity revealed a disturbing sequence wherein four young men were seen attacking the victim," the DCP said.
Soon the incidents, which occurred in different locations, were found to be linked, with the same group of assailants responsible for both crimes.
Four police teams were formed under the leadership of ACP Kalyanpuri and ACP Operations. Teams of New Ashok Nagar, Anti-Narcotic Squad, Special Staff and Ghazipur Police Station started probing the matter.
The teams reviewed CCTV footage, tracking movements via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, the officer said.
"The investigators managed to identify and apprehend four juveniles directly involved in the crimes. Subsequently, the fifth suspect was also held,
he said.
Forensic analysis and video surveillance footage established that the same group of offenders was involved in both the murders, the officer said.
The juveniles first committed the Ghazipur murder in a drunken state and later targeted a passerby in New Ashok Nagar," said the DCP.
According to the police, the New Ashok Nagar incident happened sometime after the Gazipur incident, information about which was received around 11.30 am.
Sharing details of the motive behind the Ghazipur murder, the officer said the juveniles gathered at a liquor shop in Paper Market to celebrate a birthday.
An argument broke out between them and Ramesh, which escalated and they stabbed him, he said.
After committing the first crime, they went to New Ashok Nagar and in a drunken state attempted to rob a passerby near Dallupura Road.
When the victim resisted, they fatally stabbed him before fleeing the scene, he said.
All of the juveniles were apprehended around 4 pm, ending a manhunt that lasted for 13 hours, the police said.
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