Man fatally shot by two after refusing to share cigarette with them

A 23-year-old man was shot at allegedly by two unidentified bike-borne men after he refused to share a cigarette with them in northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh, police said Thursday. Amir Khan sustained a bullet injury to the right side of his chest, they said.

In his statement to police, Khan said that he and his friend were standing near a shopping mall at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday when two unidentified men came on a motorcycle and asked him for a cigarette.

When he refused, the two men abused him which led to an argument. One of the two bike-borne men took out at a pistol and opened fired at Khan, a senior officer said. A case of attempt to murder was registered and efforts were being made to identify the two men who were at large, he said.

Last year in August, a 29-year-old non-teaching staff of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was allegedly stabbed to death while his cousin was injured, following a scuffle over asking directions to a cigarette shop. In another incident in March last year, a 22-year-old computer designing student was stabbed to death allegedly by four men after he refused to give them a cigarette at the Netaji Subhash Place signal.