A day after a 28-year-old man stabbed and injured five police officers and a house guard at Shahdara’s cyber police station, his relatives said on Thursday that they are still in shock over the incident and have no idea why or how he proceeded. Committing such an act. Bharat Bhati, a sophomore BBA dropout, went missing on Wednesday afternoon and was eventually arrested. His family learned of the incident around 2:30 p.m. when a police team reached them to inquire about the suspect. “Not just me; no one in the house was aware of what happened at the police station,” said Daksh Bhati, 18, a cousin of the accused.
‘He kept to himself.’
Bharat stayed with his grandparents and his uncle’s family at Balbir Nagar in Shahdara. Speaking of his cousin, Daksh said he was detached from the family and mostly kept to himself. “He wouldn’t eat together for days; would hold back most times,” he said. No one in the family knew where Bharat was Wednesday afternoon. “The police told us that Bharat went to the police station with a complaint about our internet service provider, but we don’t have WiFi,” Daksh said. “We were told that Bharat started shooting a video at the station, and when the police tried to intervene, he pulled out a knife and stabbed some police officers.” The relatives said they had no idea how Bharat got to the knife and when he left the house. “We have not seen any knife in Bharat’s possession,” Daksh said.
‘Under treatment’
Bharat was being treated for depression, the nephew said, adding that he always walked away from the clinic and declared himself “fit and fine”. Daksh said Bharat had been “disturbed” for four to five years, but the death of his father, Ashok Bhati, a month ago shocked him. Ashok died in Uttar Pradesh after slipping off the platform. Bharat’s mother, Geeta, died of cancer 20 years ago. He has a married older sister, and his younger brother stays with him at their grandparents’ house. The family belongs to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.
The family’s domestic worker, Neetu, who worked there for nine months, agreed that Ashok’s death affected Bharat’s behavior. According to DCP (Shahdara) R. Sathiyasundaram, Bharat came to the police station around 12:45 p.m. He first spoke to the staff and then went to the third floor and started recording a video. When he was stopped by the police officers and asked about the reason for recording the video, Bharat suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed several police officers in succession.
After his arrest, Bharat said he was a complainant, but no copy of the complaint was found. Police said he also hit his head against a wall and injured himself. An FIR under Section 307 (attempted murder) has been registered against the accused, police said. All wounded police officers are out of danger, officers said. One of the officers, Manish, who suffered minor injuries, said he was going to the gallery when the commotion started. “I turned to see what was happening, and then Bharat stabbed his hand with the knife,” he said. Chief officers Deepak and Amit, house guard Ravi and Officer Manish, were injured on the third floor, while two other police officers – Sunil and Naresh – suffered minor injuries on the ground floor, officers said. They are all out of danger, she added.
