The Delhi Police on Thursday, 1 September, arrested the main accused who attempted to kill a teenager by firing bullets at her in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar on 25 August. Two of his associates were arrested last week.
Two pistols, three live cartridges and an empty cartridge was recovered from the accused.
The police said that at around 3:45 pm on 25 August, they received information about a girl who had a gunshot injury at Sangam Vihar.
The main accused told the police that after the girl stopped talking to him, he held a grudge against her and contacted his two associates, and with their help, he hatched a plan to kill the girl.
The girl told the police that when she was coming back home from school, she was followed by three men on a motorcycle, one of whom she knew, who proceeded to fire at her in Sangam Vihar. She added that the trio subsequently fled the spot.
Administration Could Have Prevented This, Says Father
"He befriended my daughter on social media 3-4 months back, it was a fake ID. We came to know about it in July when he made a man break our window panes," the teenager's father told ANI.
"He used to follow my daughter to and from school on his bike. When they broke our window in July, we called our Beat Constable. He had told us not to worry and that they would make him understand so that he doesn't repeat it," he added.
"Had the administration been strict on time, he wouldn't have done this. People should fear the administration. Doctor has said that bullets are still inside her but she is stable, they say that the bullets will be operated out 6 months-1 year later," the father said.
"We read in the reports that three boys killed a girl by shooting her. We strongly condemn this incident. It is being told that two of the boys have been arrested, one was absconding, he also has been caught. Such incidents have no place in a civilised society," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in the Delhi Assembly on Thursday. It is pertinent to note that the girl is alive but in critical condition.
‘Stopped Talking but Accused Would Still Follow Her’: Police
Delhi DCP Benita Mary Jaikar said, “The accused disclosed that the girl was in touch with him for two years through social media but she was not talking to him for 4-5 months.”
Jaikar added, “She stopped talking to him around six months ago but the accused would still follow her continuously.”
The DCP said:
"The intention was to kill, because the firing took place at an extremely close range, not far away. It is destiny that she got hit on her left shoulder, which saved her life. It is a a clear case of attempt to murder, with full planning and conspiracy."
A case was registered under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the incident.
The police’s investigation also led to the arrest of the main accused's two associates from Sangam Vihar last week.
DCP Jaikar said, “On 31 August, our special staff received secret information that the main accused will be coming to Trilokpuri to meet someone."
"He confessed to the crime and said that he was the one who supplied the guns to the other two accused," she added.
The police had said that two country-made pistols, three live and one empty cartridges were seized from the associates’ possession.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had issued a notice to the city police on Friday, seeking an action-taken report in the matter.
'Boy Troubled Entire Street, Would Show Knife if Anyone Objected': Girl's Father
When asked about the stalker, the girl's father told a news channel, "I can only say he was an absolutely useless boy, who would never have seen a school. He, along with 2-3 more useless boys, had troubled the entire street – picking up things, stealing cigarettes, eating from carts – if anyone objected, he would show a knife."
"His mother is with him, his father puts up a clothes cart," the father said.
He also shared that the alleged perpetrator had engaged another boy to throw a stone at their house in July and had broken a window.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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