A 39-year-old carpenter died in Delhi after police said he was beaten by neighbours for objecting to firecracker-like sounds being produced from a Bullet motorcycle’s silencer outside his home in Nihal Vihar on Diwali night.
The deceased, identified as Devendra Singh, also known as Honey, lived in the area with his elderly mother, wife and two children. According to police, three men were allegedly making loud explosive sounds from the motorcycle and abusing people outside Devendra’s house when he asked them to stop.
The men allegedly attacked him with kicks and punches. They fled after local residents gathered at the spot, police said. A first information report was initially registered at Nihal Vihar police station under provisions relating to attempt to murder, based on Devendra’s complaint.
Devendra’s health deteriorated suddenly on Monday, and his family admitted him to a hospital. He died during treatment on Tuesday morning, according to the report. Following information from the hospital administration, police added a culpable homicide charge to the case.
Police said one of the named accused, identified as Paras, had previously lived near Devendra but had recently moved three lanes away. The accused persons were reported to be absconding, and investigators were searching for them. Police also said Devendra’s sister, who lives abroad, was expected to reach Delhi before the post-mortem examination was conducted.
The case highlights how the use of modified or unusually loud motorcycle exhausts can become a neighbourhood safety issue when residents attempt to intervene. The police account, however, does not establish whether the motorcycle’s silencer had been mechanically modified or identify the precise equipment used to create the sounds.
A separate Diwali-night incident was also reported from Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar area, where a five-year-old girl suffered burn injuries after a spark from a firecracker set fire to her clothes. The child sustained burns to her abdomen, and her mother was allegedly assaulted after objecting to the incident.
Police registered a case under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and for allegedly endangering life through negligence. The accused in that case were also reported to be under search. The investigations in both incidents were continuing, according to the report.
