Man stabbed, choked over ‘late delivery’ of cellphone

NEWDELHI: A 28-year-old delivery man told the police he had to cook up a story in order to save his life after he was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by a woman and her brother in outer Delhi.

Police officials said Keshav, who worked as a delivery man for e-commerce site Flipkart, was allegedly assaulted, choked with a shoe lace and stabbed over a dozen times in Niha1 Vihar on March 21. Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested 30-year-old Kamaldeep Kaur and her 32-yearold brother Jitender Singh for the alleged assault.

While Kaur has claimed to be an advocate, her brother is a school van driver. They live together in Chander Vihar of Nihal Vihar.

On March 21, Keshav told the police he went to the same address to deliver a cellphone worth ₹11,000. “But before that delivery, Keshav and the siblings were reportedly involved in a heated exchange on the phone about the timing of the delivery,” said the investigator.

When he reached the house, the siblings attacked him without warning, Keshav alleged. “Singh tired to strangle Keshav with a shoe lace. When he collapsed on the floor, the woman sat on his abdomen while her brother repeatedly stabbed him in his face, head and hands,” said MN Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (outer).

Convinced that he would be murdered, Keshav begged the siblings to spare his life. “The siblings warned Keshav that they would kill him if he revealed their identities,” said the investigator.

To wipe out evidence, Singh allegedly rode Keshav’s motorcycle and dumped it elsewhere in the city. However, a CCTV camera in the neighbourhood caught Singh riding the motorcycle.

“The siblings then loaded Keshav in a van and dumped him along an isolated stretch of road near their home,” an official said.

When a severely wounded Keshav was found by the police, he initially told officials he had been attacked by three motorcycle-borne men.

“However, the evidence at the spot did not substantiate his claims. The blood on his clothes was dry and there was no blood at the spot he claimed he was attacked,” said the investigator.

Police officials had to assure Keshav about his security before he told them about the actual attack.

Though the siblings denied their roles initially, the CCTV footage allegedly confirmed their role in the assault, police officials said.