Muskan Sharma was murdered, allegedly by Mohammad Imran, alias Aqib, at her home Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: A city gym trainer accused of murdering a 21-year-old woman in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar was injured in both legs during a police encounter in Rajouri Garden Thursday night.
Police said Imran resisted arrest and fired at the team, following which the personnel retaliated. Sources said she had stopped taking his calls and blocked him on social media, following which he allegedly contacted her using different numbers. He opened fire at the personnel. Three of the seven rounds fired by the police hit him in the legs. He was rushed to hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment. Investigators suspect he may have called her on the day of the murder and became enraged when she did not respond.
Police are also probing whether Imran had gone live on social media shortly before the murder and threatened Muskan that he will kill her.
Suspect changed locations frequently
Police inquiry revealed that Imran was booked under Pocso Act in 2018 for allegedly sexually harassing a minor in Tilak Nagar. The complainant told police that on the night of Oct 30, 2020, Imran struck him on the head with a stone slab.
After killing Muskan, Imran allegedly took her iPhone, possibly to delete text messages and chats and prevent any digital trail from being recovered, according to police. Police said after fleeing the crime scene, Imran kept changing his location. DCP (West) Hareshwar Swami said Thursday evening, a police team spotted a suspicious individual near the sub-registrar’s office in Rajouri Garden. Muskan’s family had told police she had been repeatedly harassed by Imran for a long time. Police said they also found that Imran suspected she was talking to another man, which he did not like.
The case also invoked sections related to voluntarily causing hurt, stalking, outraging modesty and common intention. Imran allegedly struck him on the nose with the same stone slab While he was lying on the ground. He remained admitted to the hospital for six days. A case was registered next year, on court’s order. Multiple police teams conducted raids across west Delhi and adjoining areas to trace him.