New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS): A 23-year-old man murdered two of his roommates following an argument over rent in west Delhi's Raghuvir Nagar, police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, Shakir murdered Azam (45) and Amir Hasan (46) with a sharp knife and a dagger while they were asleep. The duo were pressuring him to pay the rent of the room they had rented and were residing in since 1994.

Irked over the alleged foul language used by the deceased, he nurtured a grudge against both of them and on Monday night sneaked into the room and attacked them. He fled to his hometown after the double murder. Both the victims were vegetable vendors.

"During the investigation, it was revealed that Shakir had returned to his village early this year and after about four months had come back recently. His roommates, the deceased, were pressuring him for the rent for the months he spent in the village.

"Shakir argued that as he was not residing there during that time, he would not pay the rent. During the arguments, the deceased used foul language against the accused. On the intervening night of August 30 and 31 when the deceased were sleeping, the accused Shakir murdered them brutally with a knife and dagger," said DCP West Deepak Purohit.

Shakir then fled to his hometown in Amroha. A police team from Khayala was sent there, and he was subsequently nabbed.

"The weapons of offence have also been seized," said the officer.

Delhi has seen 285 murders till July 31 this year. This is 13 short of what the figure was last year during the same period. In 2019, Delhi witnessed 521 murders in the whole year.