He died 15 minutes after I fed him: Road rage victim's mother

Holding his torn and blood-soaked black t-shirt close to her heart, the mother of 38-year-old Shahnawaz who was beaten to death in a road rage incident, on Monday said that she could never imagine that she would hear about her son's murder a few minutes after she fed him.

Fifty-year-old Noorjahan, who could not hold back her tears, told IANS: "I fed him food minutes before they killed him...those cruel people killed my son. They should be arrested soon."

Shahnawaz, who owns an electrical shop, was returning home from a family function with his sons on a motorbike when it was hit by a car near Turkman Gate in Daryaganj around 11.30 p.m. on Sunday. The car occupants beat him to death.

Police on Monday arrested one of the accused, Wasim, and are on the lookout for the remaining four accused.

The accident spot is hardly a few meters away from Shahnawaz's parents' house.

"My son and two grandsons came to our house after a family function. Here, they ate food and left around 11.15 p.m. for their home on Mata Sundari Road," said Noorjahan, sitting in her Turkman Gate house in the old quarter of Delhi. Shahnawaz owned an electrical shop on Mata Sundari Road.

Clutching the black t-shirt that her son was wearing, the bereaved mother said there was heavy traffic on the road due to a marriage in the area.

Eyewitnesses told police that around four to five men were inside the car which slightly bumped Shahnawaz's bike.

According to the eyewitnesses, the driver of the car told Shahnawaz to move his vehicle but when the victim said he was unable to do so due to the heavy traffic, an argument broke out.

"Seeing the argument, my grandsons Fahad (13) and Kaif (nine) rushed to the police post situated across the road where they pleaded with two policemen to help their father...however, to no avail," she told IANS.

"On receiving no help, they came running to me and said 'Abbu ki kisi se ladai ho gayi hai' (Father has got into a fight with someone)," she added.

But by the time the family reached the spot it was too late. The family rushed the heavily bleeding Shahnawaz, lying on the road, to the nearby Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The grieving mother, who was being consoled by family members, said she will never forget the sight she saw.

"He was on the road and foaming at the mouth...he was declared brought dead at the hospital," she said, adding that "those responsible for my son's death are local goons and they should be immediately arrested".

The victim's father, 60-year-old Salauddin, a scrap dealer, told IANS: "Shahnawaz was my eldest son. He is no more because of the barbaric act by some goons of the area."

Shahnawaz has three younger brothers - Wasim (33), Faisal (32) and Suhail (19).

He has three children - two sons - who witnessed the crime - and a daughter, Talbia (five).

Salauddin said his daughter-in-law Farzana, 33, is in a state of shock.

"She has been unconscious ever since she heard about Shahnawaz's death. My two grandsons also are in a state of shock.

"Fahad was also hit by the goons and is extremely terrified after the incident," Salauddin told IANS.

Local people and the victim's relatives protested against the police and damaged a few vehicles.

A large posse of policemen along with paramilitary force was deployed in the Turkman Gate area due to the simmering tension.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Parmaditya said the accused will be arrested soon.