A Delhi policeman was stabbed 12 times by a man caught stealing a mobile phone and a crowd failed to stop the attacker or even react, security camera footage shows. The 57-year-old constable, Shambhu Dayal, died four days later, on Sunday.
His family will be given Rs 1 crore, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced today.
The horrific video from January 4 shows Shambhu Dayal being stabbed repeatedly as a large number of people watch from a safe distance.
The video starts with the policeman walking with the alleged thief, Anish Raj, whom he had just caught from the slums in Mayapuri in west Delhi.
A woman had complained to the police that Anish had stolen her husband's phone and threatened them.
When Shambhu Dayal reached the spot, the woman pointed Anish to him. The police constable reportedly found the stolen phone on him.
As Anish was being taken to the police station, he took out a knife hidden in his clothes and plunged it into the policeman's back.
The video shows Anish stabbing Shambhu Dayal on his neck, chest and stomach. The constable fights back, and manages to push Anish, who falls and then runs off. This time, the crowd chases after him.
Another policeman in the area overpowered Anish and arrested him.
The wounded policeman, seen keeling over in pain, was taken to hospital.
Shambhu Dayal, who was from Sikar in Rajasthan, was a father of three - a son and two daughters.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal paid tribute to the policeman on Twitter.
जनता की रक्षा करते हुए ASI शंभु जी ने अपनी जान तक की परवाह नहीं की। वे शहीद हो गये। हमें उन पर गर्व है।
उनकी जान की कोई क़ीमत नहीं पर उनके सम्मान में हम उनके परिवार को एक करोड़ रुपये की सम्मान राशि देंगे। https://t.co/RA3EW8MKXL
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 11, 2023
"While protecting the public, ASI Shambhu ji did not even care about his life. He became a martyr. We are proud of him. There is no value for his life, but in his honor, we will give an honorarium of one crore rupees to his family," Mr Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Police, in a moving homage, praised Shambhu Dayal for not letting the thief escape.