The Delhi Police has arrested a man for allegedly stabbing a 60-year-old man with a meat cleaver in central Delhi, officials said on Wednesday.

The attack was motivated by a long-standing grudge regarding a property dispute, they said.

The accused, identified as Jugnu alias Jiyauddin (42), a resident of Rakabganj, was apprehended late on December 20 following an analysis of CCTV footage and technical surveillance, the officials said. The incident took place around 5.45 pm near Badi Masjid in Rakabganj. Police said the victim was returning home after offering prayers at a mosque when the accused attacked him, inflicting a wound near the chest. The victim’s son, who witnessed the assault, rushed him to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital. Police said the injured man was unconscious and remains unfit to record a statement. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said a case has been registered under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for attempt to murder, based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s son.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused harboured a grudge against the victim’s family. This stemmed from a court order obtained by the victim’s family approximately 18 months ago, which forced Jiyauddin’s family to vacate their previous accommodation.

To track the accused, police teams scanned footage from over 50 CCTV cameras. Following this analysis and local intelligence, the accused was tracked near Delhi Gate around 11 pm on the same day of the incident, DCP Valsan said.