Horrifying CCTV visuals of the Delhi Shahbad Dairy murder have shown that none of the passersby who witnessed the teenage girl being stabbed and bludgeoned to death tried to stop the attacker or alert the police. There was a delay of over 25 minutes in informing the police, said officials.
The accused Sahil brutally killed the 16-year-old girl on Sunday evening by stabbing her over 20 times and bludgeoning her to death with a cement slab.
Multiple reports quoting senior police officials said the body was found by a police informer lying unattended around 9:35 pm. Though the time stamp in the CCTV visuals was wrong, officials believe there was a delay of 25-30 minutes in reporting the crime. Police officials claim they arrived at the spot within minutes.
Not only was Sahil not stopped from committing the murder, not many who gathered at the crime site wanted to be identified as an eyewitness. "Shahbad Dairy’s goons are notorious across the city and we do not dare to encounter them," said Sunita Mathur, a local, told Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, the investigation has revealed that the accused was enraged after his break-up with the victim and the fight between them a day earlier triggered the horrific act.
The accused believed the victim had rekindled her affair with her ex-boyfriend. "Initial probe also revealed that Sahil had a suspicion that she had started talking to her former boyfriend and got into a relationship with him. He had also apparently threatened to kill her," a senior police official was quoted by PTI.
Sahil has reportedly told police that he was in a relationship with the girl since 2021, but things soured. "She eventually stopped talking to him and wanted to end her relationship with him, but he kept approaching her and wanted to reunite with her," the officer said. "... Even on Saturday, they had a fight which further worsened their relationship. This could be the reason behind the murder," he said.
Meanwhile, a probe is on about a tattoo the victim had on her hand bearing the name "Praveen." Police believe this could also be a cause of frequent fights between Sahil and the girl and her eventual killing.
Sahil was arrested from Bulandshahr on Sunday after a call from his aunt to his father was traced to a location in Uttar Pradesh.
"A phone by his aunt (bua) to his father informing him about Sahil's sudden arrival helped police to nab him from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. His medical examination was conducted and by Monday night, he will reach Delhi, following which police will further interrogate him," a senior police officer said.
