A 26-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was stabbed to death allegedly by his passengers over charging extra fare at night and carrying an additional passenger at Connaught Place here, police said Monday.

The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam who used to live alone in Joga Bai extension, Jamia Nagar. Alam’s family including his wife, children and mother, live in Malda in West Bengal, a police officer said.

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A 20-year-old man was arrested and three juveniles were apprehended in the case. While one of the accused, a 20-year-old sanitation worker worked in one of the civic bodies, the three juveniles are students of class X and XI respectively, the officer added.

The incident took place on Sunday and at about 11.30 pm, a patrolling police team spotted an injured Alam near a restaurant at KG Marg, the police said.
He was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital but died during treatment, a senior police officer said.

The Tilak Marg Police Station was informed that a man, who had allegedly stabbed the auto driver, was apprehended by the public at Balwant Rai Mehta Lane, the officer said, adding a blood-stained knife was also seized from the accused who was a resident of Dakshin Puri.

During interrogation, the police learnt that four people had hired the auto from Khanpur to go to Connaught Place. On the way, there was a dispute between the driver and the passengers over charging of a higher fare at night and carrying an extra passenger, which led to the stabbing, the officer said.

Subsequently, the three juveniles, residents of Dakshin Puri, were also apprehended, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said.

According to Delhi Police data, 62 of the 337 killings (18.39 per cent) reported in the national capital till September 15 this year were triggered by sudden provocation over trivial issues.