- A Delhi man died after surviving two prior attempts on his life, police say
- Deepak Dabas was killed on July 16 in Kanjhawala by being run over by a Scorpio
- A July 2 attempt involved a Hyundai i10 deliberately ramming Deepak's scooter
A Delhi man allegedly survived two attempts to kill him before a third attempt ended in his death, with police saying a long-running personal enmity is central to the murder that was made to look like a road accident.
Deepak Dabas, a resident of Majra Dabas, a village in northwest Delhi, was killed on July 16 in the Kanjhawala area after he was allegedly run over by a Scorpio. According to the police, the killing followed an earlier attempt on July 2, when a Hyundai i10 allegedly deliberately rammed his scooter.
The police investigation has now led to the arrest of five people, including the main conspirator, 45-year-old Pawan or Jagpal Dabas, who was arrested on August 12.
According to police, the motive was rooted in a long-standing dispute between Pawan and Deepak. Police have described the enmity as dating back more than two decades and have said it was connected to allegations concerning Pawan's sister.
The case came to light on July 16, when the Kanjhawala police station received a PCR call reporting that a man was lying dead near an SUV in a field. A police team reached the location and found Deepak's body. A damaged scooter was lying about 100 metres away.
The circumstances initially suggested an accident. But police found that Deepak had already been involved in another road accident just two weeks earlier.
A case was registered at Kanjhawala police station and a team was formed to investigate the circumstances surrounding Deepak's death.
Police subsequently established that Deepak had been involved in a road accident on July 2 while riding his scooter in Majra Dabas. That incident had been registered separately.
The investigation gradually raised the possibility that the July 2 collision had not been accidental. Instead, police came to suspect that someone had deliberately tried to kill Deepak and that the July 16 collision was a second, successful attempt.
First Attempt: The Shooting
According to the police, there was a shooting incident outside the house of Deepak's brother. Police allege that Pawan was behind that attempt as well.
Following this, a plan was hatched to eliminate Deepak.
The police are now investigating the entire chain of this dispute.
Second Attempt: The Hyundai i10
According to police, Deepak was riding his scooter on Prem Pyaau Road near Majra Dabas on July 2 when a white Hyundai i10 struck him.
At first, the incident was treated as a road accident.
Deepak survived.
But police later alleged that the collision had been deliberate.
Police arrested 30-year-old Sagar also known as Kala on July 17, a day after Deepak's death. During interrogation, police said, Sagar disclosed details of the alleged conspiracy and admitted to intentionally hitting Deepak with the car on July 2 in an attempt to kill him.
The Hyundai i10 allegedly used in that attack was subsequently recovered from Atul alias Monty, also 30, according to police.
The recovery gave investigators a physical link to the first alleged attempt and helped them reconstruct what police say was a larger plan to eliminate Deepak.
Third Attempt: The Scorpio
On July 16, nearly two weeks after the i10 incident, Deepak was allegedly targeted again.
This time, police say, a Scorpio was used.
Deepak was hit near Chandpur Majra Road and died. His scooter was found damaged roughly 100 metres from the spot.
The circumstances surrounding the second collision prompted investigators to examine whether the two incidents were connected.
The police investigation has so far resulted in five arrests. Two vehicles have also been recovered in the investigation.
