The victim was one of the 70-odd passengers inside the bus plying between ISBT and Anand Vihar. The bus started from ISBT around 6.30 am and entered the Jagatpuri area 30 minutes later. The driver stopped the vehicle at several places including Shastri Park and Seelampur during this period. The police suspect that the pickpockets -- all in their early twenties -- boarded the bus at one of these places.

According to other passengers, the 30-year-old man who was attacked, resisted when he realised that someone was attempting to pick his pocket. Several other passengers realised later that their pockets had also been picked.

All the youths were armed with knives. And in full view of other passengers they stabbed the man several times on his legs. They, however, failed to take any money from him. The victim was carrying Rs 17,000.

When the passengers raised an alarm, the youths forced the driver to stop the bus near Karkari Mor. While they escaped on foot, the remaining passengers also got off the vehicle. The bus driver, Joginder Singh, instead of taking the victim to the hospital immediately, drove the bus to Patparganj bus depot. He called up the police from there, and waited for them to take the victim to a hospital.

The victim was taken to Swami Dayanand Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries within a couple of hours due to excessive bleeding. DCP (east) Balaji Srivastava said eye-witness accounts by the bus passengers have revealed ``definite clues'', and indicate that the pickpockets were from east Delhi.