New Delhi: A 37-year-old man was allegedly shot dead in the early hours of Monday by a 19-year-old youth following a heated argument over the closing of a property gate in south Delhi’s Dera village. The deceased was identified as Santlal, a resident of Baba Mohalla in Dera village. He was working as a caretaker for a local property and also took up gardening jobs in the area. The police received a PCR call around 2am on August 4 at the Fatehpur Beri police station regarding the incident. “Upon reaching the location, officers found a man lying unresponsive near the cremation ground. He had suffered a gunshot wound in his chest and was declared dead,” a senior police officer said. During the initial inquiry, it was revealed that the alleged shooter was a local youth, Piyush Yadav, son of Umesh Chandra, a resident of Amara Mohalla in Dera village. Police said the motive appeared to be an ego clash that escalated into a violent altercation over whether the property gate should remain closed. The district crime team and a forensic unit from FSL Rohini collected samples from the scene, recovering an empty cartridge from the spot. The victim’s body was sent for post-mortem examination. “The accused, who works as a real estate agent in Chhatarpur Phase 2, was arrested shortly after the incident. The weapon used in the crime was recovered from his residence,” the officer added. A case was registered under section 103(murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).