Tilak Nagar DU Student Murder Accused Arrested After Police Encounter
A man accused of stabbing a 21-year-old Delhi University student to death in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar has been arrested following an exchange of fire with the police, officials said on Friday.
The accused, identified as Aqib alias Imran, a former gym trainer, had been absconding since allegedly killing the woman at her apartment on August 26. More than 15 police teams were deployed across the district to trace him as he frequently changed hideouts.
Acting on a tip-off, personnel from the Special Staff and Anti-Terror Squad laid a trap to intercept him. When intercepted, a gunfight broke out between Imran and the police. The accused fired four rounds, while police personnel fired seven rounds in response. Imran sustained three bullet injuries to his leg before being apprehended. He is currently being questioned by investigators.
According to police, Imran had known the victim for 18 months after meeting her at a gym where he previously worked as a trainer. Imran had been unemployed after being dismissed from the gym around two months ago over alleged inappropriate behaviour with clients.
The victim was a second-year student at Delhi University's School of Open Learning and worked as a content creator and part-time model. She was the youngest of four siblings and lived with her parents and family in a rented house near Mangla Hospital in West Delhi.
Police said the woman had refused to continue a relationship with Imran, but he continued to pursue her. On July 18, she approached the police to report that Imran was harassing her, though no formal complaint was lodged. Police had sent Imran to a de-addiction facility due to a history of drug use, from which he was released on July 30 after allegedly harming himself. Investigators suspect Imran grew enraged over the woman speaking to someone else during the last two months.
On August 26, CCTV footage captured Imran entering the victim's residential building at around 5:40 pm while she was home alone. Following an argument, he allegedly stabbed her multiple times with a knife and fled the scene.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Hareshwar V Swami stated that the Tilak Nagar police station received a PCR call regarding the incident at 7:24 pm. A house help discovered the woman lying injured on the second floor of the building and alerted the family. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
