Off-duty cop held for shooting man dead

A Delhi Police officer was arrested after he allegedly shot dead a 2l-year-old man and injured another following an altercation over noise in Dwarka in the early hours of Sunday, officials said.

- Jignasa Sinha

Police said he was on the run and was arrested late on Sunday evening after a 15-hour chase. The head constable, identified by his first name Neeraj, is posted with the Delhi Police's Special Cell, officials said.

According to officials, the incident took place when the cop objected to a group of people returning from a party “making noise” on the street in front of his house. He stepped down, got into a fight with them, and fired a single shot at one of the victims. The bullet pierced the victim's chest and struck a second man, who was critically injured.

While the victim's family alleged the shooting was motivated by what they described as a “hate crime,” police said the allegation is yet to be verified. The accused was off duty at the time and officials said they are investigating whether he used his service pistol in the crime.