Delhi Court Lockup Murder: Two Prisoners Kill Undertrial

A clash broke out between prisoners in the lockup at Saket Court during their production for hearing. Following this altercation, two prisoners, Jitender and Jaydev, beat an undertrial prisoner named Aman to death.

Undertrial killed by inmates, Delhi Saket court: A violent clash occurred on Tuesday in the Saket court complex in Delhi, resulting in the death of an undertrial prisoner. The 24-year-old, Aman, died due to a violent altercation with other inmates in the court's lockup. Police have registered a murder case, linking the incident to an old rivalry, and launched an investigation.

How Aman was murdered in the court lockup

Aman was lodged in barrack number 8 of Tihar Jail. He was accused of murdering a person in 2017 and was brought to the Saket court for a hearing in the same case. At approximately 9:30 AM, while Aman was sitting with other prisoners in cell number 5, an argument broke out with another inmate, Jitender. According to officials, there was pre-existing tension between the two, dating back to before their arrival at the court.

The argument quickly escalated into a physical fight. Jitender kicked Aman forcefully, causing his head to hit a wall and then a commode. Following this, Jitender and his accomplice, Jaydev, attacked Aman. They placed their feet on Aman's chest and attempted to strangle him.

Police action at the scene and death at the hospital

A police constable stationed outside the court immediately rushed to the lockup and attempted to rescue Aman. He was immediately taken to Safdarjung Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 11 AM due to severe head injuries and bleeding.

The truth behind the old enmity

DCP Ankit Chauhan of the South district stated that the old enmity between Jitender and Aman stemmed from an attack outside the jail in 2024. In that incident, Aman allegedly attacked Jitender and his brother with a knife. Jitender and Jaydev, both accused of murder, are being held in the Saket court lockup for questioning. The investigation is underway, and police officials are examining CCTV footage to uncover the full details of the incident.

Security arrangements in the court complex lockup

The two-storey lockup block in Saket court houses numerous cells where undertrial prisoners are kept. Separate cells are allocated for VIP and high-security prisoners. At the time of the incident, cell number 5, where Aman and the two accused were held, was occupied by a total of 37 prisoners.

A police official stated that prisoners with known enmities are usually kept in separate cells, but there was no information about the tension between Aman and Jitender, hence they were kept in the same cell.