New Delhi, March 30 A 32-year-old food delivery executive was stabbed to death when he allegedly intervened in a fight between two groups that turned violent in southwest Delhi's Dwarka, police said on Monday.
The deceased has been identified as Govind Jha, a resident of Mohan Garden.
Three others sustained stab injuries in the incident and are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, they said.
Authorities have also cautioned against attempts to give the incident a communal colour.
According to the police, Govind was on his way to work on Sunday night when he noticed a street fight taking place at Rajapuri in the Madhu Vihar area of Dwarka. The altercation involved two men pitted against three others, who were later identified as Parvesh, Anish and Rohit.
"Govind stopped at the spot and attempted to intervene. During the scuffle, the two men allegedly pulled out knives and began stabbing Parvesh, Anish and Rohit. When Govind tried to intervene, he was also attacked," a police officer said.
All four injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Govind succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The other three men are currently under medical observation.
Police said the accused fled the spot after the incident, and multiple teams have been formed to identify and apprehend them.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh, in a statement, said that some messages circulating on social media are attempting to give a communal angle to the incident.
"In the incident, four people suffered stab injuries and were admitted to the hospital. One person died at the hospital, and the remaining three are undergoing treatment. The victims belong to two different communities; the accused stabbed all four of them," the DCP said.
"There is no communal angle to the incident. This is a heinous crime, and it should be treated as such. Strict action will be taken against those spreading false information," he said.
Meanwhile, Govind's brother Dheeraj Jha said the deceased had three stab injuries in his chest. Two unidentified people took Govind to a private hospital where they left him, he alleged.
"We were told he was lying outside for 15 to 20 minutes before he received any treatment," Dheeraj alleged, adding that by the time the family reached the hospital, Govind had already died.
His brother had been a delivery agent for the last eight years, Dheeraj said.
Govind's wife Neeru, speaking in visible distress, said she had spoken to her husband at around 9.40 pm.
"Later, I received a call around 10.30 pm, informing me that he had been stabbed during a fight," she said, breaking down into tears.
Police said that, prima facie, the murder appeared to be a road rage incident. There was an initial disagreement between the two parties, which then escalated into stabbing.