The Delhi Police apprehended a 15-year-old girl for allegedly stabbing a neighbour to death in a fight over water from a common tap in the Delhi’s Farsh Bazar area, an officer said.
The victim was a 34-year-old woman, who received several cuts in her left hand and a stab wound in the stomach, they said.
According to the police, on Friday at 10.59 pm, a PCR call was received with the caller saying that his wife had been stabbed in the stomach and needed an ambulance.
“Acting on the call, the police team reached the spot which was Gali no 2, Bhikam Singh Colony and found injured Soni in her room. She was having two-three cut marks on her left hand and a small wound on her stomach,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said.
Soni was immediately taken to Hedgewar Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival by doctors.
During the probe, it was revealed that Soni and her husband Satbir had a fight with their neighbours.
At about 7.30 pm, Soni had a confrontation with her neighbour’s wife and daughter over water from a common tap on the first floor of their house, the officer said.
“During the verbal spat, Soni twisted the girl’s hand, prompting the girl to seek treatment at Hedgewar Hospital. The girl was treated as a non-Medico Legal Case (MLC) patient, and an X-ray of her hand was conducted,” the DCP said.
According to the police, there are a total four rooms on the first floor of the house.
“Three rooms are occupied by three separate families and the house owner kept a room for his use. All occupants of these four rooms use a common toilet and a common tap,” said the DCP.
The officer said that there is a small space near the tap which is used by all the tenants for washing clothes and utensils.
“On Friday, the mother of the alleged juvenile was filling water in a tub for washing clothes but the deceased also wanted to wash her utensils. She removed the tub before it was filled. Since the mother of the alleged juvenile had to leave for her work soon, she wanted to wash her clothes. But the deceased wanted to use the same space for washing utensils at the same time,” the DCP said.
The confrontation led to a verbal spat between the two, but for the time being both returned to their rooms.
In the evening, the argument resumed when the victim’s husband Satbir came home drunk and started abusing the other family.
“So far our investigation suggests that such type of arguments had taken place earlier also between the tenants as they use a common toilet and washing area. Though none of the earlier fights were reported to the police,” said the DCP.
The officer said the girl has been apprehended and will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.
Meanwhile, Delhi Water Minister Atishi wrote to Lt Governor V K Saxena asking him to suspend the Delhi Jal Board CEO over the issue of water which apparently led to the killing.
In the note, Atishi urged Saxena to “institute an independent inquiry into the acts of omission and commission of Chief Secretary, as well as officers of Finance Department, Urban Development Department and DJB.” (With inputs from PTI)
