New Delhi: A 14-year-old Rohingya refugee was stabbed to death following an altercation with a group of teenagers in Delhi on Tuesday night. The incident, which occurred during Shab-e-Barat, has led to the detention of four accused, aged between 18 and 19.
According to police, the confrontation began as an argument in a residential area where both the victim and the accused lived. The dispute escalated into violence, resulting in the four accused allegedly attacking the minor with a sharp object. The boy sustained multiple stab wounds and severe head injuries.
Hussaid Ahmad, a representative for Rohingya refugees in the Khajuri Khas settlement, told Maktoob that the victim had been on his way to offer night prayers when he intervened to stop local teenagers from teasing his elder brother and two other Rohingya minors. "He confronted them and asked them to stop. That is when the four boys attacked him near the locality," Ahmad said. He added that the three other Rohingya minors present were also assaulted and remain traumatised.
The victim was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital but succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning, February 5. Ahmad noted that critical delays in arranging blood transfusion contributed to the tragedy. "We were trying to arrange blood, but due to non-availability, he could not survive. We might have saved him if blood had been arranged on time," he stated.
While the exact motive for the quarrel remains under investigation, community members suggest identity may have played a role. "Children told us that one of them was teased because of their Rohingya identity," Ahmad said, though he emphasized that the refugee community generally maintains good relations with local residents, having lived there for 15 years.
Investigating officer Deepak Pandey confirmed that the victim died from the intensity of the attack and subsequent cardiac arrest. Addressing the potential motive, Pandey stated, "We are unable to ascertain that this was an identity-based attack, as the accused also belongs to the same community."
Police have registered a case of murder and are investigating the specific circumstances that triggered the fatal quarrel.