“MY SON was shot in the head when he tried to stop some people from misbehaving with a girl... Is saving a girl a crime?” a grief-stricken father asked on Tuesday as he stood beside his 17-year-old son’s body, whose death triggered protests, road blockades and emotional scenes in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur area. Heavy police deployment was made in the area as family members of the teenager, along with local residents, staged a dharna and blocked roads, refusing to proceed with the cremation until they received assurances of swift action against all those involved in the killing. The teenager’s body remained on a road in Chhatarpur for hours as hundreds of residents, including a large number of women, gathered around it, raising slogans and demanding justice. The father, struggling to hold back tears, demanded the strictest punishment for the accused. “We want the harshest action. The family of the accused will understand our pain only when justice is done,” he said.

 

A massive stand-off unfolded between the police and the bereaved family as emotions ran high and senior officers were seen repeatedly speaking to the family members and urging them to proceed with the last rites. Several rounds of discussions took place through the day, with officers assuring the protesters that all accused would be brought to justice and that efforts were underway to strengthen the case. The protest led to severe traffic disruptions in parts of south Delhi. Police barricaded roads leading to the locality and deployed additional personnel to prevent any untoward incident. Traffic movement on several stretches remained affected as protesters occupied parts of the road. As the body remained on the road, residents from nearby colonies poured in at the protest site.

 

A large number of women also gathered to participate in the funeral procession, while many locals expressed anger over the killing. The teenager’s grandmother, surrounded by relatives and neighbours, questioned why her grandson had lost his life. “Can you see the sea of people standing with us today? They are here because he was dear to everyone. He cared for everyone, but he is not alive today because some people who had access to guns shot him in the head,” she said. “Now that he is gone, we want justice for him. The person who took his life should face the harshest punishment under the law. We have lost everything, and nothing can bring him back,” she said. According to police, the boy had gone to an eatery with a female friend after appearing for his Class 12 examination when an altercation broke out involving a group of youths. During the confrontation, one of the accused allegedly opened fire, critically injuring him.