Retired Army personnel goes on rampage in Palwal, kills six

Palwal: A retired Army personnel, believed to be mentally unstable, reportedly bludgeoned six people to death with a rod and also attacked policemen in the early hours here on Tuesday, police said. The accused, identified as Naresh Dhankhad (45), went on a rampage between 2 and 4 am in a two km stretch between Agra Chowk and Camp Colony.

A resident of Macchgar near Ballabhgarh, Dhankad, after retiring from the army on medical grounds, was working with the ariculture department as a CDO, a police spokesperson said. His first victim was a woman named Anjum who was sleeping outside a private hospital here and her killing was recorded on a CCTV camera in the area.

He then went to Agra Road intersection where he killed three more people. Then a little farther, he killed two others. Some of the bodies have not been identified yet. Palwal Superintendent of Police Sulochna Kumari said as soon as the police received information, they started sending people, who were either sleeping or working outside, indoors.

After the day broke, police personnel saw the accused and when they attempted to nab him, he attacked. The injured police personnel were referred to Faridabad for treatment, she said. He did not attempt to loot anyone and the people he targeted were security guards, beggars or the poor, she said.

Dhankad, after his arrest, was taken to the civil hospital from where doctors referred him to Faridabad. His psychological evaluation would be carried out. Deputy Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Lohan said prima facie it seemed that he carried out the killings without a reason. A high alert has been issued in the city, the police spokesperson said.