Stalker, 2 others who shot at Class 11 student in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar nabbed

On August 25, around 3pm, the victim, a student of Class 11, was shot at when she was returning home from her school with her mother and brother.

Over a week after a 16-year-old girl was shot at in Sangam Vihar, the prime accused -- a 19-year-old man who allegedly stalked the victim -- has been arrested along with his two associates, police said on Thursday.

The girl’s uncle said that the prime suspect had befriended his niece on a social media site, but with a false name. He said his niece stopped communicating with the suspect after she came to know about he had lied about his identity. (Representational image/AP Archive)

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Benita Mary Jaiker said the accused have been identified as Amanat Ali alias Ali and his two friends, Bobby, 24, and Pawan alias Sumit, 19, all residents of Sangam Vihar.

On August 25, around 3pm, the victim, a student of Class 11, was shot at when she was returning home from her school with her mother and brother. In her statement to the police, the girl said Ali had been stalking her for the past few months. She told the police that two boys were on a bike and another was keeping a watch from the distance. She identified one of the assailants as her stalker.

The girl’s uncle said that the prime suspect, Ali, had befriended his niece on a social media site, but with a false name. He said his niece stopped communicating with the suspect after she came to know about he had lied about his identity. “When she stopped responding to him, he would come to our street every day. We had also informed the local beat officer and he had said that he’ll manage the situation but nothing happened,” the uncle said.

Based on the girl’s statement, police had registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to attempt to murder and under relevant sections of the Arms Act.

Police said that during the course of investigation, the three suspects were identified through technical surveillance, and the investigators came to know that they were going to Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. “A team was sent to Muzaffarnagar but they slipped away. Later, the investigators got to know through their informers that at least two suspects will be coming to Delhi. Footage from CCTV cameras installed in the area where the suspects live was checked, and one of the suspects, Bobby, was seen returning to his house. Bobby was arrested from Sangam Vihar on August 26,” Jaiker said.

On information provided by Bobby, co-accused Pawan was also arrested from Sangam Vihar the same day, police officers said, and added that two countrymade pistols and three live cartridges were recovered from them.

Jaiker said on information provided by one of the informers, Amanat Ali was arrested on Wednesday from Trilokpuri in east Delhi.

During interrogation, Ali reportedly told police that he was angry since the girl had stopped responding to him. “Hence, he hatched a plan in connivance with his friends Bobby and Pawan. On the day of the incident, they chased the girl while she was returning from school and when she reached near B-Block, Bobby fired at her,” the DCP said.

On Thursday, after the arrest, the girl’s family said that she was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. “We are happy with police action but it took them a week to arrest the boy. It was a tough week for us because he could have harmed the family again. We will not be at ease till he is given the strictest punishment,” the girl’s uncle said.