Man shot dead in east Delhi; tussle over city’s crime rate

AAP criticizes BJP for lawlessness in Delhi, while BJP claims law and order is satisfactory with decreasing crime incidents.

A 30-year-old man was shot dead near Ghazipur’s wholesale flower market on Monday morning, triggering a political war of words over the state of law and order in the national capital.

The Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that the rule of law has “completely collapsed under the ‘double-engine’ BJP government, with murders in broad daylight becoming routine”. However, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the city’s law and order situation is “satisfactory”, adding that “incidents of crime have dipped over the past two months”.

Several Ghazipur residents, including the family members of the victim, Rohit, held a protest on National Highway-24 and blocked movement of traffic for hours demanding that the assailants be arrested promptly.

A senior officer said Rohit worked as a supervisor at the Ghazipur landfill and had received threats. The police said five persons were involved in killing Rohit over a monetary dispute and that two suspects have been arrested.

Unlike other full-fledged States, in Delhi, the police report to the Union Home Ministry.

“We received a call in the morning from Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital regarding a person with bullet injuries who died during treatment,” said DCP (East) Abhishek Dhania.

“An eyewitness informed us that Rohit, who was on a scooter, was shot dead on NH-24 near the Ghazipur wholesale flower market by three to four persons in a car,” he said.