Ex-live-in partner kills woman, her friend's toddler in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila

The deceased woman had been living with her friend and her family two blocks away from her previous residence after breaking up with her boyfriend.

A woman and her friend's six-month-old toddler were found with their throats slit in north Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila area on Tuesday afternoon, an official said.

The accused used a knife to slit the throats of his ex-girlfriend and her friend's six-month-old toddler. (Representative Image/Shutterstock)

Police suspected that the murder was committed by the deceased woman's former live-in partner, news agency PTI reported.

A PCR call was received at 1:01 pm on Tuesday from a caller who claimed that her daughter and her friend had been murdered in her home.

The victim, likely around 22 or 23 years old and a native of Uttarakhand, had been living with her friend two blocks away from her previous residence, where she lived with her ex-boyfriend, Nikhil.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said, "The woman experienced several issues and frequent arguments with Nikhil, leading her to leave and stay with the caller's family."

At the time of the alleged murder, the woman, who is the mother of the deceased toddler, had gone out with her husband to pick up her 5-year-old daughter from school.

Nikhil went over to the house and allegedly slit the throats of both his ex-girlfriend and the toddler with a knife, the DCP added.

According to the police, it appeared that Nikhil allegedly killed the woman out of anger for breaking up with him, and then murdered the toddler to take revenge on the friend for providing his former girlfriend shelter away from him.

A team from the Civil Lines police station reached the crime scene and found both the victims lying in a pool of blood, a senior official said. He further stated that the woman was attacked "multiple times", adding that it seemed like an act of rage.

The accused is absconding, and police teams have been formed to track him down.

"We are examining CCTV footage and gathering digital and physical evidence to track down the accused," said the officer.

Meanwhile, a police source, as cited by PTI, said that "the bodies were recovered and sent for postmortem examination", adding that forensic experts were also called to examine the crime scene.

A case at the Civil Lines police station has been registered under Section 103(1) (murder), and an investigation has been launched into the case.

‘What kind of monster is he?’

Meanwhile, an eerie silence gripped the streets of Majnu Ka Tila as neighbours stood outside the crime scene, in disbelief that such a tragedy had occurred.

One of the neighbours asked, "How can anyone slit the throat of a six-month-old baby? What kind of monster is he? He could have left, but why kill the baby?"

Another woman said, "The girl (toddler) would giggle at everyone. She was such a happy child. Her murder is a curse on humanity."

"Such people should never be allowed to walk free. He did not just kill two people, he destroyed our sense of safety," an elderly woman from the neighbourhood said.

People demanded that strict action be taken against the accused, requesting the police to nab him immediately.