2 killed by men who mistook them as robbers

Four men were arrested for allegedly killing two people and injuring another after wrongly identifying them as robbers in the Ranhola area of outer Delhi, police said on Saturday. The suspects were robbed on March 15, prompting their actions several days later.
Deputy commissioner of police (outer) Jimmy Chiram said the dead were Mukesh Singh, 33, and Rajesh Kumar Yadav, 25, both residents of Kakrola.
The arrested suspects were Gaurav Kumar, 23, Keshri Kumar Pandey, 35, Sandesh Kumar, 28, and Gaurav Singh, 23.
According to police, a call about a bleeding person near a fish market in Harphool Vihar came in around 10pm on March 17. Officers found one man on the road, later identified as Yadav. Another victim, Mukesh Singh, had been taken to the hospital by locals but was declared dead on arrival. Yadav later died at the hospital.
A murder case was registered, and an investigation was initiated. CCTV footage and intelligence helped identify the four suspects, who were arrested on Friday, five days after the crime.
In questioning, the suspects allegedly said a friend of theirs was robbed on March 15 by men named Anand, Mohit and others near Nala Jai Vihar. Seeking revenge, the group went two days later to the spot where the robbery had taken place and encountered Singh, Yadav and others drinking. Mistaking them for the earlier robbers, the group attacked the two men with knives and sticks, killing Singh and Yadav and injuring a third person named Sonu, who survived.
“This murder was a case of mistaken identity. Both accused and victims have not been found to have any criminal background so far,” Chiram said, adding the robbery and attack locations were in the same area, leading to the misidentification.
Police are still searching for the men who robbed the suspects’ group on March 15.
Pinki Devi, 58, Singh’s mother, said her son was the family’s sole breadwinner after her husband’s death. She is worried about supporting her 11-year-old grandson, Singh’s son.
“It was just three of us and Mukesh was the only earning hand. His son is asking me every day when his father will come home. What do I tell him?” Devi cried. “I have been told it’s a case of mistaken identity. My son didn’t even do anything. How do I make peace with it?”
Rakesh Yadav, 32, Rajesh’s brother, said Rajesh left home on March 17 around 8pm with a friend and never returned. Though currently unemployed, Rajesh previously worked as a driver.
“We want the culprits to be strictly punished,” Rakesh Yadav said.