The family members alleged that the killers used hateful and derogatory language like "katua," "musalla" before stabbing him
NEW DELHI — A 16-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death in East Delhi’s Trilokpuri area on Thursday evening, April 30. The victim, identified as Ayaan Saifi, was an only child pursuing his studies while also helping his mother with daily work, according to reports.
The incident occurred near a local park in Trilokpuri, a densely populated working-class locality that has witnessed tensions and violent clashes in the past.
Eyewitnesses and relatives alleged that a group of 8 to 10 men entered the park armed with knives, chased Ayaan, and attacked him.
“They surrounded him and stabbed him repeatedly in the back, stomach, and legs. Even his hand was badly injured,” a relative who claimed to have witnessed the incident said.
The family alleged that the attack was premeditated and linked to an earlier dispute involving a local individual referred to as “Vakil.” They said Ayaan had no direct involvement in the matter but was targeted nonetheless based on religious identity.
The family members also alleged that the killers used hateful and derogatory language like “katua” and also posted the incident on social media.
Ayaan was rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in critical condition and later referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). According to the family, he briefly regained consciousness, during which his statement was recorded by the police.
“He named several attackers. The police recorded everything on video,” a relative said, adding that family members were initially not allowed to meet him at the hospital.
The family also claimed that Ayaan had received threats in the past and that a complaint had been filed months earlier, but no preventive action was taken.
They further claimed that the attackers were not minors but men aged around 30 to 35. “They weren’t boys. They were grown men, at least 30 to 35 years old. My child was just 16,” his bereaved mother said.
.“He never did anything wrong; they took him away from me,” Ayaan’s mother, Meena said crying.
According to police, information about the incident was received at the Mayur Vihar police station around 10 pm, following which a team rushed to the hospital.
Based on the complainant’s statement and medical examination, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation is underway.
According to a report in Siasat, Ayaan’s mother, Meena accused the administration of delay in action, citing Tarun’s murder in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar during a Holi clash in March.
“Unke bhi gharo me aag lagwao jaise Uttam Nagar me kara tha. Ek tarun ko marne pe ghar pe bulldozer chalgaye the, ab toh itna time hogaya, abhitak toh kuch sunwayi nai hai (Have their houses set on fire too just like what was done inUttam Nagar. When that Tarun was killed, bulldozers were deployed against their homes. Yet now despite so much time having passed, there has been absolutely no action taken so far).”
