New Delhi: A viral video may have triggered the deadly Diwali night shooting that took place in Delhi’s Shahdara. In the latest development, investigators are now probing this new angle in the Shahdara double murder case. According to officials, the juvenile suspect, who is in police custody, was reportedly humiliated by the victims and their family days before the incident, and the video of the incident was circulated online.
The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. on Thursday when two assailants fired outside a family's home in Farsh Bazar, killing property dealer Akash Sharma (40) and his 16-year-old nephew. Sharma's 13-year-old son was critically injured in the attack.
While police have arrested the juvenile suspect, who is reportedly a distant relative of Sharma, the main shooter remains at large. Initially, investigators focused on a monetary dispute of ₹70,000 as the key motive. DCP (Shahdara) Priya Prashant Gautam said, "The juvenile was promised money at a house last month, but Sharma never paid him," as quoted by TOI. The juvenile, who has a history of criminal activity, was employed as a punter for Sharma prior to the deterioration of their relationship.
The TOI report added that the arrested juvenile confirmed that he was allegedly beaten up by the Sharma family, including Yogesh, who is Akash's elder brother. "The video of this assault was circulated on social media, allegedly driving the juvenile to seek revenge. On Thursday, Yogesh was also a target, but he was on the first floor when the incident occurred," said another officer, as quoted by TOI.