NEW DELHI: A day after a 21-year-old woman, identified as Muskan, was allegedly stabbed to death while home alone in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar on Wednesday, the investigators remain on the trail of her stalker.
The probe so far has found that the accused, a nearby resident identified as Aqib alias Imran, 26, had been pursuing the victim—a second-year student of Delhi University’s School of Open Learning working part-time as a model—for months.
The two reportedly met at a gym where Aqib worked as a trainer and knew each other for over a year and a half. However, the accused was miffed that she had ended their relationship and been avoiding him for the past two months.
One of Aqib’s former colleagues from the gym revealed that he had been pulled up by the management for repeatedly pestering her. He was asked not to try to talk to her again before eventually being let go of.
“Aqib’s way of talking was inappropriate, and that is why he was asked to leave. On a couple of occasions, issues were reported between him and the woman. We reprimanded him for that. Tried to impress upon him that such behaviour was not acceptable and that it would not be tolerated at all.”
On July 18, the woman had approached a police station and complained that Aqib—who also had a history of drug addiction—had been harassing her, but did not give a formal complaint. Police subsequently sent him to a de-addiction centre. He was released from the de-addiction centre on July 30 after he allegedly harmed himself there, police said.
Police said the woman did not want to continue her relationship with Imran, but he continued pursuing her.
Aqib reached Muskan’s residence on Wednesday while she was home alone to talk, but a heated argument broke out between them, ending in the fatal stabbing. The accused was captured on a CCTV camera fleeing the spot after the incident.
The matter came to light when the victim’s home help found her lying on the floor and informed her family. The victim was rushed to Janakpuri’s Amar Leela Hospital, where she was declared brought dead.
Meanwhile, a PCR call about the incident was made at the Tilak Nagar police station at 7.24 pm. Crime and forensic science teams inspected the scene of the crime and a murder case was registered based on a statement from the victim’s brother, who expressed suspicion that Aqib was behind the killing.
A senior police officer said that they have formed 15 teams from the district to nab the accused. Police have increased security in the area.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought an action taken report on the matter within seven days.
Accused a drug addict
The accused, Aqib (above) kept pursuing her even though she had ended their relationship and started avoiding him. He is a drug addict with a history of self-harm and had come out of a de-addiction centre on July 30. He was also fired from a gym for his inappropriate behaviour.
