Man killed for spitting on wall

The victim was known to the accused

A drunk man killed his flatmate in a fit of anger because he couldn’t stand seeing him spit on the wall. Mukesh Mandal, 40, murdered Murshid, 36, whom he had known for a couple of years, on Thursday night.  They had rented different rooms in the same flat in Gujjar Colony in south Delhi’s Gautam Nagar.

After offering namaz around 9.15 pm, Murshid was going to his room when he found Mukesh sitting on the stairs. Murshid asked him to make some space so that he could pass.  But Mukesh still blocked his way and started brandishing his vegetable knife to scare him.  Murshid, who was chewing tobacco, suddenly spat on the wall.

“Mukesh got furious and asked Murshid to clean the wall. Murshid said he could do it anytime but he had to go to his room then,” said a neighbour, who witnessed the quarrel. Mukesh lost control and attacked Murshid with the knife, plunging it in his chest. Murshid died later in hospital, said police. Mukesh tried to run away but was stopped by others and handed over to police.

Murshid’s neighbour said he was a quiet man and rarely talked to anyone. “We all come back from work around 5 or 6 pm and we always meet together for tea, but Murshid rarely joined us,” said Mustar.  But Mukesh picked up fights every now and then, neighbours alleged.

Many times, he had threatened others too with the knife. He was drunk on most days and also took some drugs.  Several labourers live on rent, alone or with their families, in Gujjar Colony. People in the same building are generally from the same state.

Murshid lived with one of his brothers. His wife and children live in Bihar. He worked as a labourer on contract basis.  Mukesh is a domestic helps. His wife and children went back to Bihar on the night of the murder.  Police said the landlords in the area have been penalised by police for not carrying out proper tenant verification.