To those close to him, Rohit Kumar Alagh was a socialite and a well-known figure in the Panchsheel Club and was liked by all.
On Wednesday morning, a small group of well-wishers and relatives gathered outside Alagh’s plaster house in Panchsheel Park, where the 64-year-old man was murdered. Despite being a short distance from the traffic and noise of the Outer Ring Road, the house stood at a quiet corner opposite the Sports Village flyover.
Senior police officers had just arrived to re-inspect the crime scene and interrogate Alagh’s family members who lived with him. Widower Alagh is survived by two sons, a daughter-in-law and a grandson.
“Rohit ji used to come to (Panchsheel) club almost every day and stay till late night. On Sunday, he was there till around 11.50 pm,” said Pankaj Vats, managing committee member of Panchsheel Park Cooperative Society. He said, “He was a very social person and got along well with everyone… I don’t remember even once having a fight or disagreement with anyone.”
“I can’t believe he was killed so brutally… He was tall… quite muscular. He could attack three or four people simultaneously. “He was the last person I expected to die like this,” Watts said.
Alagh will make every effort to befriend his neighbors in a luxurious and quiet neighborhood consisting of a row of affluent homes and apartment buildings.
“A person in our building passed away just a day before this person (Alagh) left us forever,” said a security guard at the building next to Alagh’s house.
“He made sure to meet the family and express his condolences…He was well-known in the area and he talked to everyone,” she said.
Rakesh Bhartia, a neighbor, said, “This is quite shocking… We are considering increasing security in the area… There must have been some lapses… People have to come together and improve the security of the area. We will also need the cooperation of police and administration.