Palwal (Haryana): A former Army “lieutenant” staged death dance in Palwal last week and killed 6 people by smashing their heads with an iron rod. Six innocent people lay dead in the orgy of violence that went unstopped for over an hour before the suspect, Naresh Dhankar, who appears to have a history of anti-social behaviour, was overpowered and almost beaten to death.
Among Dhankar’s victims were a pregnant woman, whom he killed by sneaking into a city hospital around 2.45 am - four security guards and a vagabond. None of the dead were apparently known to the killer. They were attacked one by one, as Dhankar went in search of more victims after each murder. By the time cops caught up with Dhankar around 4 am, the city was on red alert to capture the serial killer who had been identified in CCTV footage from the hospital. Dhankar was thrashed by the public and police, leading to a brain haemorrhage.
The motive behind the bloodbath is not known. Police suspect that he was mentally unstable and depressed, possibly because of marital discord. It all started with Dhankar arriving at Palwal City hospital armed with a rod. He went to the first floor and attacked a woman sleeping on the bench. He first woke her up by removing her quilt and then smashed her face and head with the rod. The woman, Anjum, died on the spot.
On his way out, Dhankar was confronted by some people so he hid himself in the bathroom for a few minutes. He soon stormed out, flashing the rod and threatening to attack anyone if he was stopped. Dhankar then walked towards Moti Colony park and attacked a guard, later identified as Munshiram. Another guard, Sitaram, deployed at a nearby scrap market, was sitting in his chair and reading a newspaper when Dhankar hit him on the head. The killer then proceeded towards Sohna Road where he attacked Subhash, a guard at the bus stop. From there, he took the road leading to Rasoolpur chowk and attacked a vagabond walking on the road. He then targeted his sixth victim, Khemchand, near the chowk.
After the sixth killing, Dhankar walked into his in-laws’ house in Adarsh Colony nearby. The CCTV footage and grabs of the suspect were circulated and red alert was sounded in the city by 3.30 am. People and the police overpowered him and beaten up severely.
