Residents recount horror story leading to Matta’s rampage
NEW DELHI: Residents of Ajanta apartments never suspected that something was amiss when the Matta family moved in a few years ago.
A son in the Merchant Navy and a father who takes trips abroad may not make for engaging gossip, but the rift between the father and son did keep the rumour mills running.
However, the residents became an unwilling participant in their horror story, when Rahul – wielding a knife meant for coconuts – tried to cut open the residents.
“The police force was deputed in time. Had we not made it in time, Rahul would have attacked multiple people and the death toll would have been unimaginable,” said a senior police official privy to the investigation.
Rahul Matta barged his way into the apartment as he had been denied entry by his own father.
“The family had a dispute. Some people are saying that it is a property dispute. We can’t say for sure as they kept a low profile. Around 25 days ago Rahul’s father had complained against him,” said an eyewitness.
Confirming the same, the secretary of the society, JL Gupta said: “We had received a complaint from the father. He told us that Rahul was not his son and that he should never be allowed to enter the apartment.”
Rahul had made up his mind, as he entered the apartment and beat up the guard. As he made his way inside, Gupta got the call.
“I immediately called the police. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine what would happen,” he added.
Renu Bansal, the neighbour, was the first to witness the horror show as Rahul charged at her and pushed her to the ground. He then attacked her with the knife, leaving her face injured.
“There was a commotion and we could not make sense of it. We then saw that he was brandishing the weapon wildly. We just hoped that the police would come,” said another eyewitness.
After the police reached the gates, Rahul, barged into the house of one VK Sharma and threatened to kill him. “I had to hide in the balcony. He had shut the door and kept threatening to set the house on fire. I was just praying to get out of there alive,” Sharma said.
Finally, Matta rampage came to an end when he set the house on fire in what he wanted to be a final act in his nihilistic violence. However, he managed to escape with only burn injuries to his hand.