The student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi who was arrested and charged with killing a 19-year-old woman from Nagaland will be taken to court later on Monday, police said.
"He has confessed his crime," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) HGS Dhaliwal told IANS, referring to Pushpam Sinha, a 34-year-old PhD student at IIT Delhi.
"On Saturday, the victim Ramchanphy Hongray was alone at her sister Timila Hongray's rented accommodation in Munirka (in south Delhi). The accused Pushpam Sinha somehow entered her house and tried to rape her," said a senior police officer.
"But when she resisted, the accused strangled her and dragged her body to the kitchen. To remove evidence, he then set the body on fire. He also lit the stove to make it seem as if she died in an accident and then fled from the spot."
The victim's body was discovered when her sister, who works in a restaurant in Connaught Place, returned home. She informed the police.
"First it seemed to be an accidental death but the medical reports revealed that she was strangled to death. We then started questioning the neighbours of the victim to find out if anyone had heard her shouting or had seen any suspicious person. Finally we zeroed in on Pushpam and arrested him," the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}"First it seemed to be an accidental death but the medical reports revealed that she was strangled to death. We then started questioning the neighbours of the victim to find out if anyone had heard her shouting or had seen any suspicious person. Finally we zeroed in on Pushpam and arrested him," the officer said.
{{/usCountry}}The police claim that Pushpam, who hails from Patna, could not account for his movements on Saturday and later confessed to the crime.