70-Year-Old Man Arrested for Killing Roommate With Hammer in Chhawla

A 70-year-old man was arrested for allegedly bludgeoning his 44-year-old roommate to death with a hammer following an argument over money in the Kaka Mohalla area of Chhawla in southwest Delhi on Wednesday morning.

Police identified the deceased as Sanjay Sain Dhariwal, a 44-year-old mason originally from Sultanpuri, and the accused as Durga Singh, a 70-year-old man hailing from Nepal. The two men were tenants sharing a rented room in the locality.

According to police, the incident was brought to light after the son of the property owner called the police control room at 8.11am on Wednesday. A police team rushed to the spot and found Dhariwal lying dead inside the rented accommodation. Singh was found injured at the scene.

Investigators stated that the two men had rented the small room together for a monthly rent of Rs 2,500 and engaged in petty work to make a living. Dhariwal was unmarried and estranged from his family. Singh told police officers that he is an ex-serviceman who retired from service in 1998.

Police said a dispute over money broke out between the two roommates after midnight on Tuesday. As the altercation escalated, Dhariwal allegedly attacked Singh with a knife. Singh then retaliated by striking Dhariwal repeatedly with a hammer, resulting in fatal injuries.

Following the fatal assault, Singh made a phone call at 7.16am to the building's 51-year-old owner, Rajvir, asking him to come to the property. The owner's son subsequently alerted the authorities shortly after 8am.

Due to significant blood loss from injuries sustained during the fight, Singh was initially taken to RTR Hospital for medical treatment. He was later referred to Safdarjung Hospital for further care, where he remains under medical supervision while in police custody.