Man killed after fight over queue for haircut in Delhi's Samaypur Badli

A barber at Samaypur Badli in outer Delhi, who asked his customers to wait for their turn for a haircut, was stabbed by four people on Sunday afternoon, officers aware of the incident said, adding that the victim succumbed to his injuries at a city hospital on Monday.

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Police identified the victim as Shahzad Ali, 22, a resident of Mandir Mohalla in Samaipur, who operated a barber shop in the Bhagwanpur slums.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh said the four accused were apprehended in connection with the case, but did not share their names as police were yet to verify whether they are minors or adults.

A senior police officer aware of the matter said that the police control room received a call from a private hospital at 3pm on Sunday about a man being admitted with at least five stab wounds. A police team subsequently reached the hospital and collected Ali’s medico legal certificate as he was unfit to make a statement.

Because of the serious nature of his injuries, Ali was shifted to Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Initially, police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) at the Samaypur Badli police station. After Ali’s death, section 302 (punishment for murder) was added to the FIR.

The officer quoted above said, “Investigators were informed that the incident took place at Ali’s barber shop. There was a pool of blood on the footpath outside Ali’s shop, following which a forensic team was called at the spot for inspection.”

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A second officer said that during their probe, investigators were informed that Ali was attending to his customers when the four accused arrived at his shop and insisted that he give them a haircut first. “Ali, however, told them to wait as he already had customers, triggering a fight, following which the accused dragged him out of the shop and stabbed him,” the officer said.

Police said that the four were apprehended from nearby slums. “Their ages are yet to be verified. Two of them have shared documents which claim that they are minors. Further investigation into the case is underway,” the second officer said.