Delhi youth held for stabbing man in failed robbery bid

Delhi: A youth was arrested following an encounter for allegedly stabbing a man for resisting a phone snatching attempt, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Ritik alias Rohit, suffered a bullet injury on his left leg during the encounter late Monday night near Delhi’s Ashok Vihar area and has been admitted to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, he said.

“Ritik was on the run after being named as co-accused in a case registered for robbery and murder. The incident took place on June 10, when Amit Kumar, 24, was brought to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital with stab wounds. He later succumbed to his injuries during treatment,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said.

Around 10:30 pm on Monday, a trap was laid near Prem Bari Pul, adjacent to a drain. A suspect was spotted exiting from Shaheed Udham Singh Park. When the police team asked him to stop, he tried to flee toward the railway tracks, he said.

“While being pursued by the police, the accused took out a pistol and opened fire. The bullet missed the officer. In self-defence, police first fired a warning shot. When the accused attempted to reload and fire again, a second shot was fired at his lower body, striking his left leg,” the officer said.

The accused fell to the ground and was overpowered. He was subsequently taken to hospital. No police personnel were injured in the exchange of fire.

Police had earlier registered a case under section 103(1) (Murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Ashok Vihar police station and apprehended three minors.

The initial investigation revealed that the accused had attempted to snatch the victim’s mobile phone. When he resisted, they stabbed him.

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“Subsequently, additional charges under sections 309(6) (robbery) and 317(2) (stolen property) of the BNS were added to the case. Ritik was identified as the fourth accomplice who had managed to flee the spot with the victim’s phone and other belongings,” the officer added.

A fresh case under relevant sections of the BNS and the Arms Act was registered at Ashok Vihar police station, he said.

Police said Ritik has a criminal history and was earlier involved in two cases of theft and armed robbery. He was released on bail in an armed robbery case on July 5, 2024.