New Delhi: A man accused of killing a 21-year-old Delhi University student in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar has been arrested following an exchange of fire with police, an official said on Friday.
Accused Aqib alias Imran (26), who worked as a gym trainer, had been absconding since stabbing the girl (Muskan) to death at her apartment on August 26. More than 15 police teams were formed to trace him, they said.
"Following the incident, barricades and checkpoints were put up across the district, and teams were deployed to trace him. Imran kept changing his hideouts. Acting on a tip-off, teams of the Special Staff and Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) laid a trap to apprehend him," a senior police officer said.
However, a gunfight ensued between Imran and the police personnel who intercepted him, the officer said. The accused fired four rounds, while the police fired seven rounds, he said, adding that Imran suffered three bullet injuries on his leg.
Imran was subsequently apprehended and is being questioned. Further investigation is underway, police said.
According to police, Imran had known the girl for 18 months. He first met her in the gym, where he was working as a trainer.
The woman, a second-year student at Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL), was a content creator and part-time model. Her elder sister is a model, according to people known to the family.
She was the youngest of four siblings and lived with her parents and siblings in a rented house near Mangla Hospital in West Delhi.
Imran was unemployed and had worked at the gym for about three months before being removed about two months ago over alleged inappropriate behaviour with customers, a gym worker said.
On July 18, the woman had approached a police station and complained that Imran was harassing her, but did not give a formal complaint, police said.
Police sent him to a de-addiction centre due to his history with drugs. He was released from the de-addiction centre on July 30 after he allegedly harmed himself there, police said.
Police said the woman did not want to continue her relationship with Imran, but he allegedly continued pursuing her.
Police suspect he became enraged over her talking to someone else during the last two months.
On the evening of August 26, Imran allegedly went to her house when she was alone. An argument broke out, following which he allegedly stabbed her multiple times with a knife and fled, police said.
CCTV footage showed the accused entering the building around 5.40 pm, a police source said.
Tilak Nagar police station received a PCR call regarding the stabbing of a girl at 7:24 pm, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Hareshwar V Swami said.
The house help found the woman lying injured on the second floor of the building and informed her family, following which police were called.
She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival, police said.
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