NEW DELHI: A 37-year-old gardener was allegedly shot dead by a 19-year-old teenager following a heated argument over the closing of a property gate in south Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri area in the early hours of Monday.
The deceased has been identified as Santlal (37), a resident of Baba Mohalla near the Shamshan Ghat in Dera Village. The accused has been identified as Piyush Yadav (19), son of Umesh Chandra, a resident of Amara Mohalla in the same locality. According to police reports, the incident occurred around 2:00 am near the Shamshan Ghat area. A PCR call was received at the Fatehpur Beri Police Station, alerting officers to loud cries coming from the neighbourhood. Upon reaching the scene, police found Santlal lying unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the centre of his chest. He was declared dead on the spot.
Preliminary investigation suggests that a verbal altercation between the two escalated due to an ego clash, ultimately resulting in Yadav allegedly opening fire. The weapon, a country-made firearm, was recovered from the accused’s residence based on his disclosure during interrogation. A single empty cartridge was also recovered from the crime scene.
The District Crime Team and forensic experts from FSL Rohini visited the site and collected key forensic evidence. Santlal’s body was sent to Safdarjung Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Santlal had been working as a caretaker of the property where the incident took place and also earned a livelihood as a gardener in the area. He lived at the site with his family.
Yadav is said to be a real estate agent operating in the Chhatarpur Phase 2 area. A case of murder has been registered. Police have assured that the investigation is being conducted with full seriousness and legal due process.