The butchers of Turkman Gate: Father thrashed to death with iron rods in front of his crying sons over petty road rage incident

• Shahnawaz, 40, was beaten to death by five thugs because his bike - stuck in traffic - was blocking their way

• His sons, aged nine and 13, begged bystanders and nearby police for help, but were told to 'call 100'

• Victim was rushed to nearby Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital but died en route

• A day later, 200 protesters blocked central Delhi to demand immediate arrest of the attackers

At around 10.30pm on Sunday, Turkman Gate lived up to Delhi’s reputation as a city that has lost its soul.

Two children, 13 and nine years old, stood wailing and begging bystanders as five local strongmen mercilessly beat their father to death over a traffic quarrel. Road rage claimed another life. No one in the crowd came forward. The police did not arrive from a chowki merely 50 metres away.

You could tick every item on Delhi’s infamous check-list.

When no one came to their father’s rescue, the hapless children ran to the cops, who asked them to call 100. By the time the police reached the spot, their father was lying in a pool of blood, and was declared dead on arrival at the Lok Nayak Hospital.

The death of 40-year-old Shahnawaz has shaken the city. Murders are commonplace in the Capital, but a man being thrashed to death because his motorcycle grazed a car as bystanders watched in silence is a new low even by Delhi’s standards.

Also, while Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi boasts about the new police motto “Shanti, Seva or Naya” and compares the force to the best-rated police departments across the globe, his men stood and watched Shahnawaz die without raising a finger.

According to the Delhi Police, Shahnawaz was returning home from a family function with his two sons on a motorbike when it grazed a car near Turkman Gate in Daryaganj.

Iron rods

The driver of the i20 car, identified as Shadab, got into a verbal spat with Shahnawaz. Shadab reportedly told Shahnawaz to move his bike as he was unable to manoeuvre his car.

When Shahnawaz expressed his inability to do so due to heavy traffic, Shadab, along with Khalid Amin, another occupant of the car, started thrashing Shahnawaz with iron rods.

Later, three other occupants of the car, Atif Lala, Mohammed Wasim, and another unidentified person, got out and joined them.

Seeing their father being attacked so mercilessly, Fahad and his younger brother Kaif tried to hold back the accused, but were pushed aside. The boys then ran to the nearest barricade where two policemen were standing and begged them to help their father.

‘Dial 100’

The cops allegedly told them to dial 100. The children then ran to their grandmother's house nearby and said: “Abu ki bahar ladai ho gayi hai kuch logo ke saath (Dad is involved in a fight outside with some people)”.

By the time the family reached the spot, it was already too late.

Shahnawaz, bleeding heavily, was rushed to the nearby Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.