A 35-year-old father was shot dead in Delhi's Nand Nagri area Tuesday evening after rushing to save his teenage son from a mob that had reportedly surrounded and beaten the boy over his religious identity.

Mohammed Umardeen was declared dead on arrival at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. His 15-year-old son Tehjeem had called home in panic, telling his father he was being attacked.

"They stopped him and said, 'He is a Muslim, beat him,'" Umardeen's mother told reporters, her voice breaking. "They assaulted my child so brutally that his head was split open."

The teenager had frantically called his father: "Papa, save me. They are beating me badly... Sonu and his brother Sardar."

Umardeen was having tea at home with his wife, mother and daughters when the call came. He immediately rushed to the spot and confronted the accused boys, who allegedly retreated into their house and began hurling abuses.

"From inside, both brothers started hurling filthy abuses," his wife recalled. During the confrontation, one of the accused allegedly emerged with a gun and fired at Umardeen. The bullet struck him in the chest.

His wife rushed him to hospital, but doctors could not save him. "They have taken away the shadow of their father from my children," she said through tears.

The incident highlights the persistent communal tensions in parts of North East Delhi, which witnessed deadly riots in 2020. The area has a mixed Hindu-Muslim population where minor disputes can rapidly escalate along religious lines.

A billion people aren't a statistic - they're a billion stories. Let me tell you one: Mohammed Umardeen was a father who died trying to protect his son. His elderly mother now questions whether there is any safety for families like hers in the national capital.

Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. The victim's family has demanded swift action against the accused, who remain at large.

The shooting comes amid growing concerns about communal polarization in India's capital, where according to The Observer Post, ordinary disputes increasingly take on religious overtones in certain neighborhoods.

For Umardeen's family, the questions are simpler and more devastating: Who will protect their children now? And when will those responsible face justice?