Kept shouting that he will kill me: Survivor recounts horror

NEW DELHI: He took a swipe at my hand with the rod and left me injured. But I managed to push him out and lock my gates again... He kept shouting that he was going to kill me. I could have been his seventh victim...

KAPIL VIKAL, a neighbour of Naresh Dhankar’s in-laws

On Tuesday, Kapil Vikal could have ended up being the seventh victim of Naresh Dhankar’s killing spree in Palwal, if not for his prompt action.

Dhankar, a 43-year-old government official, bludgeoned six persons to death with an iron rod in a two-hour-long mayhem in the early hours of Tuesday in the Haryana town.

“I was used to Dhankar creating a ruckus outside his in-laws’ home every few weeks. On Monday night too, Dhankar created a scene. He left a little before midnight,” recounted Vikal, a neighbour of Dhankar’s in-laws.

Vikal added that he was woken up around 6.30am on Tuesday by a loud rattling of his iron gates. “Dhankar was back. He was shouting abuses at his wife and rattling on my gates, urging me to let him in,” he said.

Vikal refused to oblige, prompting Dhankar to resort to pleadings. “Dhankar told me he was dying due to the cold. I took pity,” said Vikal.

But as soon as Vikal had unlocked the gates, Dhankar tried to barge in. “It was then that I noticed the heavy iron rod in his hand. His clothes were covered in blood. He took a swipe at my hand with the rod and left me injured. But I managed to push him out and lock my gates again.,” recounted Vikal.

Vikal, who was alone at his house at that time, immediately tried to call the police, but failed to get through. Dhankar, meanwhile, had walked over to a neighbouring street, but when he saw Vikal outside, he chased him with the rod in his hand. “He kept shouting that he was going to kill me. I could have been his seventh victim...,” said Vikal.