On Sunday police said that a 19-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by his friend in Delhi as they posed with a pistol to make a video on mobile app TikTok. Last night, Salman Zakir along with his friends Sohail and Amir went out for a drive to India Gate. While returning, Sohail sitting next to Salman, who was driving the car, pulled out a country-made pistol.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Salman along with his friends Sohail and Amir went out for a drive to India Gate on Saturday
- Sohail reportedly shot 19-year-old Salman on the cheek while shooting a TikTok video
- Sohail was arrested as he fired the bullet, while Amir was arrested for disposing the weapon
Delhi Man Killed After Pistol Goes Off While Filming TikTok Video: Cops
He aimed it at Salman while trying to make the video but the pistol went off shooting him on his left cheek and the bullet passed through his right ear. He slumped at the car’s steering wheel, but the vehicle didn’t get involved in a mishap, the police said,
Madhur Verma, the deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), said that Suhail Malik, the 24-year-old suspect arrested for the murder, claimed the shot was fired “accidentally” when they drove over an uneven stretch of the road while filming a video for the TikTok app. But Suhail wasn’t getting the benefit of the doubt as he tried to destroy evidence by getting rid of his blood-stained clothes and hiding the pistol.
The DCP said that the trio had left for India Gate around 9.45pm on Saturday in a white Hyundai Creta owned by Salman’s cousin. Salman was behind the wheel, Suhail was seated next to him and Aamir was on the rear seat. The incident took place on the Ranjeet Singh Flyover, just after Barakhamba, the DCP said.
After the incident, the two friends panicked and drove to Sohail’s relatives’ place in Daryaganj, where he changed his blood-stained clothes. Then, along with the relative, they took Salman to nearby Lok Nayak Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said.
They left the hospital soon after admitting Salman. Around 11.15 pm, the hospital authorities informed the police, officials said.
Police said the pistol was allegedly in Suhail’s hand. “Suhail has told us that he was holding his pistol in his hand to record a video for the TikTok app. As they passed by the Lalit Hotel around 10.30pm, an uneven part of the flyover caused the car to lurch, leading to the shot being fired,” the DCP said.
Police said they were trying to ascertain where Suhail got the pistol from.
A murder case and a case under Arms Act have been registered at Barakhamba Police Station and Amir, Sohail and another man, Sharif, have been arrested, they said.
Sohail was arrested as he fired the bullet, while Amir was arrested for disposing the weapon. Sharif, who was not present at the spot when the incident happened, was arrested for disposing the blood-stained clothes, the officer said.
Salman’s body has been kept at the hospital and post-mortem will be done on Monday.
Police said they are investigating whether the bullet was fired accidentally or with an intent to kill.
A relative of Salman said, “Two of his friends came last night and asked him to go to Indian Gate along with them following which Salman took his car and left.”
“We received the information about the incident from police and reached the hospital,” he said.
The police received a call from the hospital authorities around 2.30am. Suhail was arrested a few hours later, while Aamir was held in the evening.
The DCP said that all possibilities were being probed.
“We heard rumors about a possible love triangle, but the families of Salman and Suhail have denied any such thing,” the DCP said.
