New Delhi: In a tragic incident on Wednesday in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, an 18-year-old man was crushed to death by a tanker, while another man was critically injured after being stabbed during a violent altercation.
The chaos began when an autorickshaw broke down, and its four occupants were attempting to move it to the roadside. As a water tanker navigated the flooded street following heavy rains, it splashed water on them, sparking an argument. The frustrated auto passengers retaliated by hurling stones at the tanker, causing the driver to lose control and allegedly run over one of them. The driver immediately fled the scene, prompting the group to search for him in vain and further vandalize the tanker in their anger.
In the meantime, another auto driver, Bablu Ahmed, approached the group to inquire about the damage to the tanker. This resulted in him being stabbed by the youths. Police received a call about the incident around 4:30 PM from Ratiya Marg in Sangam Vihar. “The caller informed us about a group of three to four boys involved in the stabbing,” said an officer.
Upon investigation, police discovered that the autorickshaw’s occupants—Arif Khan, Shakeel, Sahadab, all aged 18, and Durga—were attempting repairs when the tanker, driven by Sapan Singh (35), passed by and splashed water on them. Enraged, the youths began throwing stones and vandalizing the tanker. Singh, trying to drive away, allegedly crushed Sahadab under the vehicle before fleeing.
As the group searched unsuccessfully for Singh and vandalized the tanker further, Bablu Ahmed, witnessing the chaos, approached them. In response, the group allegedly stabbed him. Ahmed was rushed to a hospital and later transferred to Safdarjung Hospital. Sahadab was declared dead upon arrival at Batra Hospital.
