2 held after separate late-night shootouts

New Delhi: Two men wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing and multiple knife attacks in southwest Delhi’s Dabri area were arrested after separate late-night police encounters, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Rohit Kumar alias Noddy and Prem Sharma alias Himanshu, allegedly opened fire on police teams trying to apprehend them and were shot in the leg in retaliatory firing. Both have prior criminal records, police said.

The arrests came within 24 hours of two stabbing incidents reported from Madhu Vihar on Sunday night, in which one person was killed and three others critically injured. The incidents occurred within a span of around 15 minutes.

In the first case, 39-year-old Govind Jha, a food delivery agent, was stabbed to death near Durga Mata Mandir after he asked the accused for directions. He later succumbed to injuries at a hospital.

Minutes later, three persons — Honey, Anish and Rohit — were stabbed near Nav Jeevan School. Two victims remain unfit for statement, while one was referred for specialised treatment.

Police ruled out any communal angle, calling such claims misleading.

Rohit Kumar was arrested near Dwarka Sector 17 with a pistol and cartridges, while Prem Sharma was held near Najafgarh on a stolen scooter. Sharma is the main accused in Jha’s murder, police said.