Delhi gym trainer stabbed to death at home hours before wedding
New Delhi (PTI): A 29-year-old gym trainer was stabbed 15 times in his face and chest at his south Delhi home early Thursday, hours before he was supposed to get married. Police are searching for the man's father, the main suspect in the murder.
Deceased Gaurav Singhal's younger brother and a relative have been detained for questioning, they said, adding that all angles are being looked into.
The incident occurred in the Devli Extension area of south Delhi, a senior police officer said.
"The motive behind the murder is yet to be ascertained. So far, we have come to know that there was some dispute between father and son. Everything will be clear after the arrest of the main accused," the officer said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Ankit Chauhan said police received a call about the incident around 12.30 am.
Following the attack, Singhal's family members rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead, he said.
"Singhal's wedding ceremony was scheduled for Thursday... It was an arranged marriage," the DCP added.
Police have shifted the body to the AIIMS mortuary for a post-mortem examination and legal proceedings have been initiated.
Singhal's family members, however, said they do not suspect any foul play by anybody belonging to the family.
"I got a call at around midnight about the murder of my nephew. I immediately came to the house. When I reached there, family members of Gaurav had taken him to a hospital... We do not suspect any foul play from the family side," Jawar, the uncle of the deceased, said.
Another family member Jaiprakash Singhal said, "The entire family is clueless about who killed him. We did not hear any screams as dhol was playing near the house. Police must investigate the case properly and arrest the accused."
Police officials said the victim was stabbed more than 15 times in his face and chest, killing him on the spot.
"We have activated our local sources to know the actual reason behind his death. We are investigating the matter from every angle and have some important leads behind the main motive. More than five different teams are working," an official said.
Police said they were also checking CCTV footage of the area.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
