An argument over cars among friends escalated out of control, leading to the murder of a 27-year-old man in north-west Delhi Mukherjee Nagar on Sunday.

The friends were drinking and discussing which car was better, police said. The argument ended with one of them being hit on the head.

Victim Ashish of Khajuri Khas in north-east Delhi, was a sales executive in a private company. He left home on Sunday evening to meet few friends at Mukherjee Nagar, but did not return home. 

Later, his family members received a call about his death from Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital. Police said they received a call regarding a quarrel at 12:40 am on Sunday. 

“When the police control room van reached the spot, Ashish was found in a pool of blood inside a car near Vijay Chowk. He was rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital where he was declared brought dead,” said police.

During investigation, police found that he and his friends consumed alcohol in his car and then went for a drive to Vijay Nagar.

They argued over cars for almost half an hour over, ‘which car is better’. The argument turned into a fight after which one of them hit Ashish on his head and abandoned him in his Accent car at Vijay Nagar crossing. 

Meanwhile, a passerby made a call to the police regarding this. But by that time, the youths had already left the spot.

Additional deputy commissioner of police, (north-east) Romil Baniya said, “We have detained the deceased’s friends, but no arrest has been made in the case so far. Investigation has been taken up.” Police have also recovered bottles of alcohol from the car in which Ashish was found dead, he added.