After shootout, this. Something bad has befallen Sant Nagar, say residents

NEW DELHI: Residents of Sant Nagar, an otherwise quiet locality, had barely recovered from the gang war incident that cost four lives and injured four others two weeks ago when Sunday’s horror jolted them once again.

The entire colony was abuzz in the morning with the “11 murders in Bhatiaji’s house”. Popular among the locals, the family’s tragedy drew a huge crowd leading to police closing the street for public access.
All the shops in Sant Nagar market bore a deserted look with people either trying to meet distant relatives of the Bhatias and trying to pacify them or climbing on the terraces to see the heavy police mobilisation in the area.
TP Sharma, a resident, said that the Bhatias were cordial people and the affection among the brothers and their children was admired by everyone. “Nobody can understand how this tragedy struck the family. Lalit and Bhavnesh were forthcoming in helping others and used to take part in every social programme. This incident needs to be investigated thoroughly,” he added.
The neighbours didn’t go to work, children skipped tuition classes and traders kept their shops shut to either help cops or attend to the family’s relatives in their time of sorrow.
“Something bad has befallen this area. First the gang war and now this, it is traumatic to see the deaths. Earlier, three youths from the area had drowned in a swimming pool. This incident is a bigger tragedy as all the victims were close to us,” said a youth who lives a few houses away from the Bhatias.
Locals also recalled the murder of BSP politician Munawwar Hasan Rana and his family who were killed in April 2017 by his rival Sahib Khan alias Bunty.
As the ambulances came, locals found whatever space they could get to witness the bodies coming out of the house one after the other. There were people crying, while some were making videos of the incident.
The domestic helps of the Bhatias — Deepak and Pappu — were seen answering questions of the cops even as Narayani Devi’s daughter, Sujata, was being consoled by the neighbourhood women.
Later, police presence increased as BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal came to meet the family members. The shockwaves of an earthquake failed to budge the people from witnessing the developments happening in Gali No. 4A of Sant Nagar.