Smugglers kill anti-drugs activist in Delhi

An activist who had been fighting drugs 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 who was wearing a white cap opened fire at Rupesh after Rupesh objected to their abusive language, the victim's wife Monica told IANS.

"I was standing at the balcony and witnessed 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 launched an anti-drug campaign in Taimoor Nagar. They had earlier sent complaints to the local police station, the DCP's office and also the Police Commissioner but nothing happened. Some drug smugglers had threatened my husband and his brother," she said.

Hundreds of people blocked traffic on the major roads for a couple of hours, demanding the 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.

The victim's family demanded police protection for Umesh.

--IANS

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