Shahbad murder case: The gruesome murder of a teen girl in the Shahbad Dairy area of northwest Delhi shook the nation's conscience on Monday after the video of the murder went viral on social media. The police nabbed the accused Sahil from Bulandshahr soon after people created outrage on social media.
Who is Sahil?
20-year-old Sahil, who stabbed a 16-year-old girl Sakshi over 20 times and bludgeoned her to death, is an AC and fridge mechanic by profession. He is a Muslim man but a Kalawa (sacred cotton red thread roll) was found on his wrist which fuelled an angle of 'love Jihad' in the case.
Ramphool, accused Sahil's landlord, in Jain Colony Barwala, Prahladpur, said,"Sahil had been staying here for the last two years along with his three sisters and parents. His father's name is Sarfaraz. He never had any fights with anyone in the neighbourhood here."
Sahil is on Instagram with username sahi.lkhan3600 suggested that he was an alcholic and smoker. His Instagram account has 56 posts and 405 followers. His bio read- "#love you dark life; daru lover (alcohol lover); Yaaron ki yari; Sab pe Bhari; 5 July; Love you mom." In some of posts, he is seen enjoying parties and smoking hukkah with his friends.
Latest revelations
As the investigation progressing, new shocking revelations are coming up. Shahbad murder case: 'Toy pistol', 'tattoo of Praveen' on girl's body- Latest revelations on Sakshi-Sahil's relation. According to sources, a tattoo with the name of a man- Praveen- was found on her hand. Praveen was her friend and he was probably one of the causes of a toxic relationship between the two. It was also found that the girl carried a toy pistol on Saturday when she was killed. She displayed the toy gun to Sahil when he tried to stab her.
The victim had gone shopping on Sunday evening for the birthday party of her friend's child when she was accosted by the accused in the densely populated neighbourhood, they said.
Sakshi was living with her friend
Sakshi, whose father is a labourer, passed class 10 this year. The victim's parents, who are residents of JJ Colony and have a younger son, said she was staying with her friend Neetu for the last 15 days since the latter's husband was out of Delhi for work. Recalling Sunday's event, Neetu, who has two children, said Sakshi was busy organising the birthday party for her daughter and went to the nearby market to get a dress for the child.
She informed Neetu that she wanted to use the washroom and was going to their common friend's place. Neetu claimed that Sakshi and Sahil often fought with each other but she got to know about their "friendship" only six months ago.
Victim's parents' remarks
Seeking justice for their daughter, Sakshi's parents demanded capital punishment for the accused. They said neither she nor her friends had told them about Sahil. The victim's father said that the police have assured them that they would get justice for their daughter. "We believe and trust the police when they said they will help us in getting justice for our daughter," he said.
Sakshi's mother said he had last spoken to her on Sunday afternoon. "My daughter had been staying with Neetu and her two children for the past 15 days. I had spoken to my daughter around 1:30 pm and she had told me that she will return home once Neetu's husband is back," she said.
'Love jihad' angle
Many took to social media to express anger over the brutal assault and the "insensitivity" shown by people who did nothing to save the victim.
"A minor girl was brutally murdered in Delhi. This is very sad and unfortunate. The criminals have become fearless, there is no fear of the police. LG sir, law and order is your responsibility, do something," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
In a statement, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the case should be tried in a fast-track court. Sachdeva claimed locals had informed him that the accused was harassing the minor girl for "a long time".
It is "regrettable" that the Chief Minister of Delhi was "trying to portray" the "brutal killing" of a Hindu girl as a law and order issue, whereas it is a case of "Love jihad", Sachdeva said.
"The red Kalawa (sacred thread) tied on the hand of arrested Sahil Sarfaraz clearly showed that he is a member of Love Jihad gang working in a well-planned manner," Sachdeva charged in his statement.
"Love jihad" is a term often used by BJP leaders and right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.
(With PTI input)
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