In one of Delhi’s most chilling cases this year, a 21-year-old forensic science student from Moradabad allegedly murdered her 32-year-old partner after discovering he had secretly recorded intimate videos of her. The victim, a UPSC aspirant, was found dead in his north Delhi flat under circumstances initially believed to be an accidental fire.
Police probes also later established that the fire was actually staged. In line with officials, the woman, having studied forensic science and made a hobby of watching crime dramas, meticulously planned the murder. She allegedly recruited her ex-boyfriend, who worked as an LPG distributor, and his friend to do the deed on October 5.
They attacked the victim and strangulated him with the wire of a mobile charger. To simulate an accident, they rolled ghee and alcohol on his body, turned the gas regulator on, and set the fire ablaze.
“They opened the gas regulator and ignited a lighter, creating the scene of an accidental fire. The cylinder was placed near the victim’s head. About an hour later, the fire spread and the cylinder exploded, completely burning the body, "said a senior police officer.
CCTV and arrests bring breakthrough
The next morning, the victim's burned body was found in his fourth-floor apartment. It was first treated as a case of reckless behaviour with fire, but inconsistencies in the burning patterns and a complaint from the victim's cousin led to further investigation. CCTV footage showed two men and a woman at the flat.
Police follow-up resulted in the arrest of the woman in Moradabad on October 18, her boyfriend on October 21, and their accomplice two days later.
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Obscene videos discovered on hard disk
A breakthrough in the case was the recovery of a hard disk with obscene videos of more than 15 women. An officer told The Hindustan Times, "It appears that the deceased had done the same with multiple women and used to record their private videos on his laptop. The laptop has not been recovered yet, but the hard disk has been seized."
According to a report by The Hindustan Times, Forensic experts are now analysing the material to determine the identity of the women and whether the recordings were consensual. Officials have stated that further charges of voyeurism and invasion of privacy could follow.
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Motive behind the killing
Investigators believe that the lady was motivated by humiliation and outrage when her partner declined to erase her videos. Betrayed and violated, she supposedly made use of her expertise in forensic science to organise the murder and camouflage it as an accident, the Hindustan Times reported. Police are still investigating the case, analysing the confiscated evidence and the role played by all suspects in the crime.
