You may recall the riots that occurred in North-East Delhi in February 2020, during which Hindus were targeted and killed. A group of Muslim extremists took to the streets armed with weapons, led by AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, who had turned his own home into a base for the rioters. Individuals such as Umar Khalid from JNU incited hatred towards Hindus under the guise of protesting against the CAA-NRC. Sadly, among those who lost their lives in these riots was Vinod Kumar.
During the murder of Vinod Kumar, his son Nitin, also known as Monu, was present. Following his father’s brutal death, Nitin shouldered the responsibility of supporting the family. However, even after three years of the incident, the wound remains fresh, and the family feels great sadness upon hearing news of the accused being released on bail. Additionally, the family is struggling financially, with a seven-year-old and a two-year-old among their children.
OpIndia recently interviewed Monu, the son of the late Vinod Kumar, to gain insight into the family’s current situation. Monu shared that his DJ work has been steady and that everything else seems to be normal. However, he added that he earns no more than Rs 5-7 thousand per month from this work and that there are no other sources of income for Nitin’s household. He also explained that when his father was alive, they did not face any significant financial struggles, but now he is solely responsible for all the family’s financial obligations.
Nitin’s elder son is studying in the first grade, while the younger one is currently being homeschooled. There are four people in the household who rely on Nitin for support. He also mentioned that he has not been called for any hearings related to his father’s murder case in court. They are told to expect a call and show up at the court on a certain day, but the call never comes. In the past three years, they have not attended any hearings in court.
Nitin, the son of the late Vinod Kumar, has said that due to his DJ business, many people in the local area know him, and there is a higher Muslim population there. Some Muslims also come to him for DJ services. However, Nitin does not provide DJ services to Muslims nor does he set up DJ systems in their areas. He mentioned that he is the sole breadwinner of the family and is afraid for his life, therefore, providing DJ services to Muslims is not safe for him.
When Nitin’s father was murdered, he had to stay in the hospital for five days for treatment because he had several injuries to his head. Nitin is grateful to God that no one in his family got sick and they did not have to run around hospitals. No politician or official has come to ask about him in the past year. He has not received any compensation or financial assistance since his father’s death.
Nitin has requested the government to provide him with employment opportunities and ensure the education of his children, rather than providing him with financial assistance. He shared that he had filled out a form but did not receive any money. During the MCD elections, no leader from any political party approached him. Nitin is concerned about securing admission for his children to a good school. He also revealed that most of the people who were involved in his father’s murder were outsiders, primarily Muslims.
Vinod Kumar, a resident of Brahmapuri, was brutally beaten to death in front of his son Nitin Kumar alias Monu on the ghastly night of 24 February 2020. The duo was returning home on a motorcycle around 10:30 pm when a mob assaulted them with stones and lathis. Their motorcycle was also set ablaze by the bloodthirsty mob after they found the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ sticker pasted on it.
