Delhi Driver Stabbed to Death After Asking for Extra Choley at Sunday Market

A 35-year-old private car driver died in a Delhi hospital on Tuesday after being stabbed multiple times by a street food vendor in what police say began as a trivial dispute over a request for extra chickpeas. The victim, identified as Sandeep, a resident of Rav Vihar in Nihal Vihar, was attacked on the morning of October 25 near Jwalapuri Nala in west Delhi.

According to police, Sandeep had stopped at a roadside choley-bhaturey stall at a Sunday market and asked the vendor for an additional serving of chickpeas. The request reportedly sparked a verbal confrontation, with the vendor allegedly abusing the customer before the altercation escalated into physical violence.

The accused vendor, identified as Chintu Gupta, allegedly produced a sharp weapon and stabbed Sandeep repeatedly. Medical records documented three stab wounds on the left side of the abdomen, three lacerated wounds on the left forearm, and an additional wound on the wrist, indicating a sustained and close-range attack.

Bystanders rushed Sandeep to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where the severity of his injuries prompted doctors to transfer him to Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Punjabi Bagh. He remained hospitalised for three days before succumbing to his injuries on the morning of October 28.

Police registered a case against Chintu Gupta immediately after the stabbing, initially under charges of attempt to murder. Following Sandeep's death, the charges were upgraded to murder under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Gupta was arrested shortly after the incident and remains in custody.

The case has drawn attention to the frequency of violent altercations over seemingly minor disputes at public spaces in the capital. Delhi has recorded a number of such incidents in recent years, where arguments at food stalls, parking spots, or during traffic have turned fatal.

Sandeep is survived by his wife and two sons, aged four and ten. Neighbours and family members gathered outside the hospital as news of his death spread, expressing shock that a routine morning visit to a local market could end in tragedy.

Local residents in Nihal Vihar told reporters they recognised both the victim and the vendor, as the Sunday market is a common gathering spot in the neighbourhood. The nature of the dispute — an everyday interaction at a street food counter — has amplified the sense of grief and disbelief in the community.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and that they are examining witness accounts and any available surveillance footage from the vicinity of the attack. Officials did not indicate any prior history of conflict between the two men.

Authorities have not yet announced a date for the chargesheet to be filed. With the accused in custody and medical evidence on record, prosecutors are expected to present the case before a Delhi court in the coming weeks.