Tihar Jail prisoner stabbed inmate to death to avenge rape of his sister: Police

New Delhi: Accused of raping a minor girl in 2014 and in Tihar Jail since then, Mohammad Mehtab had no idea that four years later, his victim's brother would end up in the same prison and two years later would be killed by him. After Mehtab was stabbed by another inmate in Tihar on Monday morning, police officials here said that 21-year-old Zakir was waiting for a chance to avenge his sister, who had reportedly killed herself after Mehtab was arrested in her rape case.

Zakir had stabbed Mehtab multiple times in the stomach and neck with a sharp metal object improvised to be used as a knife at around 6 am on Monday morning when the prisoners were released for morning prayers inside jail number 8/9.

Zakir, a resident of Dakshinpuri had recently been shifted to ward number 4 of jail 8 from jail 5. Mehtab was lodged on the first floor of the same ward, police said. This transfer was done on the request of the accused as he had a fight with other inmates in his previous ward. He was looking for an opportunity to take revenge from Mehtab, they said.

"During the investigation, it was found that Mehtab was accused in the rape case of Zakir's minor sister in 2014 at the Ambedkar Nagar police station area. The victim reportedly later committed suicide," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Deepak Purohit said.

When other inmates came out for morning prayers on Monday at around 6 am, the accused went upstairs and stabbed Mehtab with a knife-like object, the DCP said. A murder case has been registered at Hari Nagar police station against Zakir, who had been in jail since 2018, accused in a murder case.