Delhi Community Mourns Father And Son Killed In Stabbing

A father and son were tragically murdered in their Delhi apartment, sending shockwaves through their community and raising concerns about safety in the area.

On Saturday, the house of Rakesh Sood in the upscale Tara Apartments at Alaknanda under the CR Park police station in south Delhi stood broken, after he and his 27-year-old son Karan Sood were fatally stabbed on Friday, with family members and neighbours struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"They lost everything in one night, the father and the only son. The house looks so empty that it is hard to describe in words," said a friend of Rakesh, requesting anonymity.

According to police, Rakesh and his son Karan were attacked with a sharp-edged object around 6 pm on Friday inside the apartment complex.

The accused, Asad Siddiqui, a resident of the same society, has been arrested.

Details Of The Crime

Information about the incident was received at 9:20 pm on Friday from a private hospital in Saket, where three men were admitted by their relatives.

While Rakesh and Karan were declared brought dead, their relative, Rahul, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment, police said.

Police suspect the attack was linked to a long-standing financial dispute.

For those who knew the family, the details of the crime have done little to soften the blow.

Community Remembers Rakesh Sood

"Rakesh Ji was a very religious person. Every Thursday, he would organise a 'bhandara' (community meal) outside his house," a neighbour said.

"He would stand there himself and serve food to people. It is difficult to accept what has happened," he said.

The residents of the society described Rakesh, who was in the real estate business, as someone always available at times of need.

"If anyone approached him for help, he never refused. Whether it was financial help or any other support, he would quietly step in. People trusted him," a colleague said.

Karan Sood Followed In His Father's Footsteps

Karan, the neighbours said, had joined his father in the family business and worked closely with him.

"Rakesh was in the property business for the past 40 years. Karan joined his father two to three years back and was learning everything from him †not just the tricks of trade, but also how to treat people," the colleague said.

Many saw in him a reflection of his father.

"Karan was soft-spoken, respectful and grounded. You could see he was following in his father's footsteps," another associate said.

The neighbours recalled that the father-son duo shared a close bond and were often seen together.

"It is hard to believe that both are gone, that too in such a brutal manner," a neighbour said.

Family Devastated By The Loss

Rakesh is survived by his wife and their two daughters, both around 30 years old, who are inconsolable and struggling to come to terms with the twin blow.

"The Sood family has been living in Tara Apartments for the past 15-20 years. The wife and girls were at home when the incident took place. Just imagining the horror they went through makes us shiver," one of the neighbours said.

The neighbours described the family as a close-knit unit.

"They were simple, decent people who were always there for others. What happened does not feel real," another neighbour said.

For many in the neighbourhood, the double murder left a lingering sense of disbelief.

"This is not something you can accept easily. One moment they were here, and the next they were gone," a resident of the society said.

Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj, who lives in south Delhi, said in a post on X that the incident has raised serious concerns over law and order in the national capital.

"Tara Apartments in Alaknanda was considered a safe, gated colony where several prominent figures, including former Union minister Sushma Swaraj, lived. Such incidents reflect a worrying situation," Bharadwaj said.