New Delhi

Delhi Police has arrested one man and apprehended a juvenile in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old युवकwho was allegedly attacked by a rival group in central Delhi’s Anand Parbat area, officials said on Saturday.

The arrested accused has been identified as Virat alias Gattu, 22, a resident of Baljeet Nagar.

According to investigators, police received a PCR call on Thursday reporting an assault involving a group of young men near Ramjas Park.

The caller informed police that three youths passing through the area had been confronted by a group of around 10 men, who allegedly attacked them before forcibly taking one of them away.

When police teams reached the location, they found an unconscious man lying near the boundary wall of the park, close to a garbage dump in a wooded stretch nearby.

Officers said the victim had sustained multiple injuries, including wounds to his chest and head. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Investigators later identified the victim through a SIM card recovered from a mobile phone found at the crime scene, following which a murder case was registered and a detailed investigation launched.

During questioning, one of the deceased’s friends told police that a group of seven men had attacked them over an old rivalry.

According to his statement, the attackers dragged the victim into the forested area, where he was allegedly assaulted with a knife and bricks, while the two other youths managed to escape.

Police subsequently formed multiple teams to trace those involved.

Using technical surveillance, local intelligence inputs, and ground verification, investigators tracked down Virat near Ramjas Park and took him into custody.

Based on his disclosure, police also recovered the knife allegedly used in the murder from a nearby forested patch.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly told investigators that the attack was carried out in retaliation for an earlier altercation in which one of their associates had allegedly been assaulted by the victim and his friends two days before the incident.

READ MORE: Najma Akhtar: Ex-VC played a key role in shaping India's educational growth

Police said a juvenile has also been apprehended in connection with the case, while efforts are continuing to identify and arrest the remaining suspects involved in the killing.