An ice cream vendor met a tragic end near India Gate, a high-security area in central Delhi, in what authorities believe to be a crime linked to a love triangle, police said.
The victim, identified as 25-year-old Prabhat, was operating his ice cream cart when the incident occurred at the C-Hexagon of India Gate around 9 pm on Wednesday.
Passersby alerted the authorities upon discovering Prabhat unconscious on the ground, the officer reported.
He was rushed to RML Hospital, where medical professionals pronounced him deceased.
Law enforcement swiftly apprehended the assailant, identified as Ajay alias Akshay, from Noida, and also took into custody a teenage girl suspected of being involved in the conspiracy, from her residence on Thursday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla disclosed that in response to the case’s sensitivity, approximately 12 police teams were deployed, spearheaded by Inspectors Pradeep Rawat and Jitendra Kumar, who meticulously analysed multiple CCTV recordings and technical data.
The accused, Ajay, was arrested within eight hours of the incident.
The police recovered Prabhat’s two mobile phones from the possession of the accused, but the weapon used in the crime has yet to be located, authorities confirmed.
According to police reports, Prabhat and Ajay were both romantically involved with a teenage girl from south Delhi.
“During interrogation, Ajay confessed to the murder of Prabhat, revealing that the girl introduced him to Prabhat as part of her desire to end their relationship,” another police officer disclosed.
A team was dispatched to the girl’s residence, leading to her apprehension.
The officer emphasised that technical evidence implicated the girl in the plot, noting that she informed police that Prabhat had prohibited her from communicating with Ajay.
The girl remained in frequent contact with the accused via phone on the day of the incident, police said.
Ajay reportedly contacted her following the attack on Prabhat and subsequent escape, according to the sources.
The girl was presented before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) before being transferred to a juvenile correctional facility, the officer informed.
Authorities revealed that Prabhat hailed from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh and resided in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, where he operated his ice cream business in South and New Delhi.
Ajay, originally from UP’s Gonda district, worked at a tent house in Noida.
“On Wednesday night, Ajay brandished a knife and inflicted multiple wounds on Prabhat before fleeing the scene,” the police officer recounted. “His movements were tracked, leading to his swift capture in Noida”. (With inputs from PTI)
