Financier kills auto driver with dagger during scuffle in Delhi's Kamla Market

He had come to collect the money when a scuffle broke out between him and Siya Ram prompting Mehto to intervene, the officer said.Mehto, stabbed in the neck, was rushed to LNJP hospital in an auto by his nephew who was around, but was declared brought dead, she said.Siya Ram, who was also injured in neck and face, is out of danger, she said.

A 55-year-old auto driver was stabbed to death with a ‘kirpan’ (dagger) when he tried to stop a scuffle between his friend and the attacker ensued over money, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Central Delhi's Kamla Market Tuesday evening when Ganga Mehto was attacked by Gurdeep Singh allegedly for intervening in the fight between him and a 43-year-old Siya Ram, police said. “We got a call about a scuffle at 6.13 pm at Kamla Market Police Station. When our team reached the spot, we found Mehto and Siya Ram had been taken to Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP) for treatment,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shweta Chauhan.

During investigation, police found that Gurdeep, a resident of Nangloi, has a finance business in Paharganj and had loaned Rs 1 lakh to Siya Ram three years ago. He had come to collect the money when a scuffle broke out between him and Siya Ram prompting Mehto to intervene, the officer said.

Mehto, stabbed in the neck, was rushed to LNJP hospital in an auto by his nephew who was around, but was declared brought dead, she said.

Siya Ram, who was also injured in neck and face, is out of danger, she said. Narrating the incident, Jeet Narayan (30), Mehto’s nephew, said his uncle had gone to get his auto repaired, when he witnessed the two parties indulging in a scuffle. ''I am a witness to this horror. My uncle was stabbed in front of me. By the time I came back from a trip, he had been stabbed with a Kirpan. I immediately rushed my uncle to the hospital where he was declared brought dead,'' he told PTI. Asked if his uncle was conscious during the commute to the hospital, Narayan said, ''My uncle was saying ‘jaldi chalo’. But his voice was not clear. After reaching LNJP, he told me 'jaldi karo' but he died within 5-10 minutes of being admitted,'' Mehto used to earn around Rs 9k-15k a month and he and his elder son were the only breadwinners in the family, Narayan said. His elder son, 18, has just started driving auto, and they both had taken their autos on rent, he said. After the incident, I called my wife who informed their family about the incident, he said, adding, that the family has taken his body for the last rites to their hometown in Bihar's Motihari district. ''We knew Siya Ram, the other injured person. He has a spare parts shop,'' Narayan said.

''My uncle has four children. They all are in shock and don’t have much hope but we will continue to fight for justice.” Another family member said that Mehto had been driving auto for the last 30 years.

''He along with his family were supposed to go to their native place to attend his niece's wedding. But unfortunately, he is no more alive to give her his blessings,'' he said.

After the attack, Gurdeep tried to flee on his scooter but people around apprehended him and thrashed him, the officer said.

“We have registered a case under section 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code against Gurdeep, and arrested him. Weapon used has been recovered and further investigation is underway,” Chauhan added.