Key Points
Mohammed Umardeen, 35, was shot dead in Delhi’s Nand Nagri on 17 February 2026 after responding to a distress call from his 15-year-old son, who was being assaulted near a local school in a communal attack.
Police have filed an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, collected forensic evidence, and formed teams to arrest the identified suspects.
Residents blocked the GTB roundabout demanding immediate arrests; the family initially refused burial until police assured them that efforts to apprehend the accused were underway.
35-year-old Mohammed Umardeen was shot dead in Northeast Delhi’s Nand Nagri on 17 February 2026 while rescuing his 15-year-old son from an assault. His family allege that the attack was communally motivated, with the perpetrators shouting religious slurs at the boy.
According to family members, Umardeen was at home having tea with his wife, mother and three daughters when he received a distress call from his son. The boy, a Class 10 student whose examinations are currently underway, was returning from a tuition class when he saw a group of friends being beaten by a mob near Nand Nagri B1 Government School. When he tried to intervene, he was reportedly surrounded and assaulted.
The boy’s mother alleged that the attackers targeted him because of his religious identity. “Unn logon ne usse rokha aur kahan, ‘Yeh Musalmaan hai, isse maro.’ Mere bacche ko itna maara ki uska sir fhaad diya (Those people stopped him and said, ‘He’s Muslim, beat him.’ They hit my son so much his skull cracked open),” she said, claiming that the group used communal slurs and assaulted the boy severely. She added that her son named the alleged attackers during the call, saying, “Papa, mujhe bachao. Mujhe bahut maar rahein hai, Sonu aur uska bhai Sardar (Papa, save me. Sonu and his brother Sardar are beating me a lot). ”
Family members stated that Umardeen immediately left for the location, accompanied by his wife. On reaching the spot, he confronted the group of boys. According to his wife, the accused allegedly went inside their residence and began verbally abusing him from within. During the confrontation, one of the individuals – Sonu – reportedly emerged with a firearm.
Sonu reportedly fired multiple rounds at Umardeen, saying “Tu apne ladke ka himayati ban ke aaya hai, aaj tera hi kaam tamam kar deta hu (You have come as your son’s advocate, today I will finish you off).” Umardeen was struck in the chest at close range and the attackers fled immediately after the incident. Umardeen’s wife rushed him to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.
An FIR registered at Nand Nagri police station records the date and time of the offence as 17 February 2026 at 17:45 hrs, and notes that the case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Police have registered a case of murder and identified at least one suspect – Sunil Singh. Forensic and crime teams examined the scene and collected evidence, and officials are scanning CCTV footage from nearby cameras to establish the sequence of events.
The day after the incident, family and residents gathered at the GTB roundabout, blocking traffic and demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. Members of different communities participated in the protest, calling for accountability and swift police action.
The family initially refused to accept Umardeen’s body for burial, insisting that the accused be arrested. After police officials assured them that teams had been formed and efforts were underway to trace the suspects, the family agreed to proceed with the burial.
“Mere bacho se unka saaya cheen liya (My children were robbed of their support),” Umardeen’s wife said, expressing her grief. His elderly mother also questioned the circumstances of the killing. “Jiska mara, uska dil dukhtha hai. Na police ka jaatha hai, na kisi janta ka. Chothe bache hai uske. Kya hoga unka? (Those who have lost someone feel the pain. Neither the police nor the public truly bears it. He has small children…what will happen to them?)” she said. The incident has intensified local concerns about communal tensions and public safety in northeast Delhi.
[DS]
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