'My child was innocent': Family demands justice a day after nine held in Seelampur murder case

New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): The family of a 17-year-old youth, Kunal, who was killed in Delhi's Seelampur area on April 17, demanded justice, a day after Delhi police arrested nine people in connection with the murder.
Mother of the deceased Kunal told ANI that his child was "innocent" and expressed hope to get justice
"I want the accused to be hanged till death...If they get life imprisonment, they will come out on bail...I know the accused, Shoaib, who lives near my house. Shoaib is the maternal uncle of Zikra...Their entire family is involved in wrong practice... I am hopeful that we will get justice...My child was not involved in any wrongdoing...My child was innocent, he did nothing...He was working in Gandhinagar and was innocent..."
Meanwhile, on Sunday, nine people, including women and minors, were held by the Delhi Police in connection with the murder.
According to Delhi Police, the main accused, 'Lady Don' Zikra, along with Sahil (18), Zahida (42), Nafish (32), Sohaib (35), Aneesh (19), Vikas (29)and two minors aged about 17 and 15 years, have been taken into custody.
Police teams from the North-East District carried out raids across Delhi-NCR, including Ghaziabad, Meerut, Moradabad, and Amroha in Uttar Pradesh. Based on technical surveillance, clues, and local inputs, the suspects were arrested on April 20.
During the investigation, evidence was collected against Zikra, Sahil, and two minors referred to as "Children in Conflict with Law" (CCLs). Police allege that these individuals planned the attack on the victim, Kunal.
The police said, "Relevant evidence was collected, which confirmed the involvement of the accused in this heinous crime during the probe."
It was revealed that Sahil had an old rivalry with Kunal. On April 17, the group allegedly caught Kunal and stabbed him multiple times.
Giving more details, police said, "On April 17, at about 7:38 PM, information regarding the stabbing of a person in J-Block, Jhuggi Seelampur, was received at the Seelampur Police Station."
When the police team reached the location, they found the victim had already been taken to JPC Hospital by his family, where doctors declared him dead. The victim was identified as Kunal, a 17-year-old boy from the New Seelampur area in Delhi.
A case was registered at Seelampur Police Station under Sections 103(1)/3(5), and an investigation began. Given the seriousness of the case, the Operations Wing of North-East Delhi joined the Seelampur Police team. Multiple teams were formed to trace and arrest those involved.
Based on the evidence collected from different sources, the suspects were identified. Zikra, one of the key accused, was arrested on the evening of April 18.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reacted to the incident and said, "I have spoken to the Police commissioner about the murder of a 17-year-old boy, Kunal. He was attacked with knives and was rushed to the Jai Prakash hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival."
Following the murder, Kunal's relatives and residents in Seelampur held protests demanding justice. (ANI)