Man beaten to death for objecting to open urination; kin says he was PM Modi's follower

Vijender, elder brother of e-rickshaw driver Ravinder, who was beaten to death for objecting to open urination on Saturday, said his brother was an avid follower of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and never skipped PM's 'Mann Ki Baat'programme.

The 32-year-old victim was just 200m from his home when he was beaten brutally and left to die by a group of youths, suspected to be students of the Delhi University (DU) colleges. He is survived by his wife, who is pregnant. The two had just celebrated their wedding anniversary on May 9.

With his meager earnings of Rs 400-500 daily, Ravinder had been saving up so that they could provide for their child. The couple had planned to move out of their small jhuggi and shift to a better place, after the birth of the child.

"He wanted to earn big to support his family well. After his wife insisted, he had bought a new phone just two days ago. Who will take care of her and their child now? His wife's life has been ruined. Police have told us that they are making efforts to identify the culprits, but we haven't seen any results till now," Vijender said.

He further said that Ravinder was a fan of Modi and always batted for his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. "If batting for cleanliness and hygiene in this country brings such fate, then the police and administration need to rethink the situation. There's a police post near the spot of the incident but no cops could be seen around. All accused managed to flee and have not even been identified yet," he said.

Meanwhile, the police were taking the help of locals, efforts to identify the accused have been intensified. "Raids are being conducted at suspected hideouts and CCTV footage from local shops, Metro station, and residences are being scanned to identify them," a police officer said.

RISING INTOLERANCE

• May, 2017: A Nepalese man was beaten to death by two persons after a brawl at a roadside eatery in central Delhi's Daryaganj.
   
• May, 2016: A 29-year-old man from Congo was battered to death by three intoxicated men, following an argument over hiring of an autorickshaw in south Delhi's Kishangarh.
   
• April, 2016: A man was beaten to death and his wife was assaulted after his bike collided with a car in central Delhi's Turkman Road.
   
• October, 2015: A 30-year-old man was beaten to death by his own friends in Kanjhawla area of outer Delhi.
   
• July, 2014: A 30-year-old man from Manipur was beaten to death by a group of five to six men in the south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpu.

RAGING DELHI

• Crimes related to sudden provocation: 12.60%
   
• Enmity: 22.83%
   
• Illicit relationship: 9.4%
   
• Robbery, theft: 3.5%
   
• Family dispute: 13.39%
   
• Property dispute: 0.79%