New Delhi: A 37-year-old property caretaker was fatally shot in the chest during the early hours of Monday in Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri area, following a heated argument over closing a gate. The accused, a 19-year-old local real estate agent, has been arrested by the police.
The victim, Santlal, worked as both a gardener and caretaker of several properties in Dera village, near the Shamshan Ghat where the incident occurred around 2 am, according to police.
A police officer said the control room received a distress call after loud cries were heard from nearby houses. “Upon reaching the scene, Santlal was found lying unresponsive with a gunshot wound near the cremation ground. A used cartridge was also recovered from the site,” the officer confirmed.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused, Piyush Yadav, got into a verbal altercation with Santlal over the closure of a property gate. The argument quickly escalated, culminating in Piyush allegedly shooting the victim in a fit of rage and fleeing the spot.
The breakthrough came when Piyush was apprehended and confessed to the crime during interrogation. He later led the police to his house, where the weapon used in the crime had been hidden.
Officials said Piyush Yadav operated his real estate dealings from Chhatarpur Phase 2, while Santlal was known in the locality for managing multiple plots and properties.
Santlal’s body has been sent to Safdarjung Hospital for a post-mortem. A case of murder has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
