GURUGRAM: A BCom senior was shot in the head at point-blank range by an alleged stalker outside his university in Faridabad on Monday afternoon.
The shooting of the girl, who was killed on the spot, sparked protests in the city of NCR and a political row in Haryana after CCTV footage showed the shooter was a cousin of the Congressional Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed.
The main defendants, identified as Touseef, a cousin of the MLA, and Rehan, were arrested in Nuh on Tuesday and placed in pre-trial detention for two days. The victim, 20 years old Nikita Tomar and Touseef had known each other since they were children: they went to the same school. In September, however, Nikita had filed a sexual abuse complaint against Touseef.
Fbd murder: defendant wanted a girl to convert, marry him
Nikita had gone to sit an exam at Agarwal College in the Ballabgarh area of Faridabad at 1pm on Monday. A chilling 23-second video, taken from footage around 4 p.m., captures Nikita and one of her friends leaving college, Touseef, and Rehan arriving in a white car and trying to drag her into the vehicle, Nikita managing to free herself from his grip and Touseef pulling a pistol out of his pocket and shooting him.
Nikita’s friend, who was with her at the time, told TOI that she was in shock and was afraid for her own safety. “We were waiting for a car when the car stopped and two people got out. Before we could understand what was happening, they tried to drag Nikita away. It all happened in a matter of seconds, before anyone could react, ”he said.
The woman’s relatives and others blocked the Faridabad-Mathura highway in protest Tuesday morning. While the police called for calm, Haryana Interior Minister Anil Vij announced the creation of a special investigation team (SIT), led by the ACP, Anil Kumar, to ensure a “swift investigation and a time-bound trial” .
Nikita’s father, Mool Chand Tomar, alleged that Touseef had been harassing her for several months and that she had filed a sexual abuse complaint against him in September. “He had been calling her persistently over the past weeks and pressuring her to convert to Islam and marry him, but she had refused,” Tomar said. Other family members told TOI that even Touseef’s mother had called Nikita several times to ask him to convert.
Touseef and Nikita studied at the same school in Faridabad and were classmates. Nikita, her family members said, was among the best in the school on the Class 12 boards and was preparing for the civil service exams. In 2018, after completing school, the two went to different universities, with Nikita starting the trade and Touseef following a physiotherapy course.
According to the police, that same year, Touseef had allegedly kidnapped Nikita. At the time, a case had been registered, but Nikita’s family later withdrew it after a panchayat was held, police sources said. Nikita’s relatives alleged that Touseef’s relatives had pressured them to do so, that they wield considerable political influence in Nuh, and that Nikita’s family had been assured that Touseef would no longer bother her. On the allegation of sexual abuse and the allegations by the family, Faridabad Police Commissioner OP Singh said they were investigating the matter.
Singh said that 10 teams had been formed to catch the defendant, who had fled to Nuh via Palwal. An FIR against Touseef and Rehan has been registered at the Ballabgarh Police Station under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intent) of the IPC and the relevant sections of the Gun Act. The domestic-made pistol that was used for the murder and thrown at the scene was recovered, police said.
Taking note of the matter, the Haryana Women’s Commission requested a detailed report from the police, and President Preeti Bhardwaj said the incident “highlights flaws in our system, which need to be fixed.”
On video: Shocking! Girl shot to death in broad daylight by assailant in Ballabhgarh, Haryana
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