Smugglers kill anti-drug activist in Delhi

An activist who had been fighting drug smugglers and local criminals in south Delhi's Taimoor Nagar was gunned down by two suspected smugglers who came to buy drugs near his residence, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday night at around 9 p.m when the victim, Rupesh, 28, was playing with his children outside his residence.

The attackers first stabbed a drug peddler when they did not get fine quality drugs from him and later attacked Rupesh.

CCTV installed outside Rupesh's residence captured the attackers running away. One wearing a white cap opened fire at Rupesh after he objected to their abusive language, victim's wife Monica told IANS.

"I was standing at the balcony and saw the crime. I raised an alarm and ran to help my husband. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries," she said.

"My husband and his elder brother Umesh, along with locals, had launched an anti-drug campaign in Taimoor Nagar. They had earlier complained to the local police, the DCP's office and also to the Police Commissioner, but nothing happened. Some drug smugglers had threatened my husband and his brother," she said.

Hundreds of people blocked traffic on major roads in the area for a couple of hours, demanding early arrest of the killers. A mob torched a motorcycle and damaged a few vehicles in the area before the police used force to disperse the stone-pelting crowd.

"We have detained some drug smugglers and are trying to identify the accused. We will soon nab the attackers," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said.

"A vigilance inquiry has been ordered by the Joint Commissioner of Police to look into the lapses and omissions by the local police," Biswal added.

The victim's family has demanded police protection for Umesh.

--IANS

sp/nir