17-Year-Old Arrested for Alleged Murder of Delhi Doctor in Nursing Home Shooting

A 17-year-old was arrested on Thursday for the alleged murder of a 55-year-old doctor inside his private nursing home in Delhi. The incident occurred on Wednesday.

The teenager had visited the three-bed Nima Hospital in the Kalindi Kunj area for first-aid treatment, accompanied by a friend who is currently on the run. Dr. Javed Akhtar, a practitioner of Unani medicine, was reportedly shot by the minor, who claimed he acted out of anger over being charged excessively for his treatment.

After the shooting, the teenager allegedly posted a photo on social media with the caption, “Kar diya 2024 mein murder (finally committed murder in 2024).” Both boys lived in the same neighborhood, and police have since recovered the weapon used in the crime. The police have also questioned a female nurse from the nursing home and her husband regarding the incident, reported NDTV.

Recalling the incident, hospital staff reported that the two boys arrived at the facility late Wednesday night, with one asking for a change of dressing for an injured toe. The teenager had received treatment at the hospital the night before.

After the dressing, the boys requested a prescription and then went to Dr. Akhtar's cabin. Moments later, nursing staff members Gazala Parveen and Mohammad Kamil heard a gunshot and rushed to the doctor's office, where they found him bleeding from his head.

According to reports, the police have stated that the incident appears to be a targeted killing, suggesting that the assailants may have visited the hospital the night before to scope out the area. Authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage from inside the hospital to identify the suspects.

This comes less than two months after Kolkata's RG Kar incident, where a doctor on night duty was raped and murdered at a state-run hospital, leading to nationwide protests advocating for the safety of healthcare workers.​