Stabbed by thief he caught, ASI dies of injuries; kin say no bystander came to his aid

Police said a woman had approached Dayal for help after her phone was allegedly snatched by a man at knifepoint. Dayal took the complainant to the spot to identify the accused. “The woman pointed out the person and he caught the accused, Mayapuri resident Anish Raj (24). While Dayal was taking Anish to the police station, the latter pulled out a knife which he had kept hidden under his shirt and attacked him. Dayal sustained injuries on his chest, abdomen, neck and even on his back as he was stabbed multiple times,” said an officer.

The accused tried to flee but Dayal caught him and alerted his colleagues, who overpowered and arrested him. Officers said strict legal action will be taken against the accused for killing an on-duty officer.

DCP (West) Ghanshyam Bansal said ASI Dayal fought for four days in the hospital and died during treatment on Sunday morning: “He served for almost 30 years in the Delhi Police force. He is survived by his wife and three children. His bravery will always be remembered. We are in constant touch with his family and will help them.”

Dayal joined the force in 1993 as a constable. Police said he hailed from Rajasthan’s Sikar district. His parents worked as farmers and later left their jobs due to old-age issues. He was the sole breadwinner of his family and also sent money back to his village to help his parents. He recently joined the Mayapuri police station and was given different beats including patrolling duty.

His relatives said his wife Sanjana (53) and three children — Gayatri (25), Deepak (21) and Priyanka (19) — have no other means of support.

Jaikishan Meena, Dayal’s brother-in-law, said: “The children are still in shock. My sister is inconsolable. We kept praying for days but he had severe injuries. He was a noble man and helped everyone. He would leave home by 10-11 am and come back home around midnight. He never complained. I am disappointed that no bystander helped him when the thief was stabbing him. When police can help us, should we not help them when one is in danger? Dayal fought on his own till other policemen came to his aid.”

Personnel from Mayapuri police station said they recovered footage in which Dayal is seen fighting the thief as bystanders look on. “He was old but he was very active and hardly took any leave. On that day, we were going to accompany him and asked him to take a break before we left, but he said he wanted to help the distressed woman. We didn’t know the accused was carrying a knife,” said a sub-inspector at the station.