Shahbad Dairy murder: Bystanders did not make PCR call for 25-30 minutes as body lay in corner, say police

“Though time stamps on CCTVs aren’t accurate, we found there was a delay of 25-30 minutes in reporting the crime. None of the locals or passerby seen in the CCTV made a PCR call. The body was lying at the spot and was later found by our informer. The informer called the beat officer around 9.35 pm. There was no delay in police teams responding to the incident as the beat staff reached the spot within minutes,” said an officer.

This, even as the accused can be purportedly seen repeatedly stabbing the deceased on the head and chest with a knife and bludgeoning her with a boulder he picked up from a nearby pile of stones. While, initially, a bystander can be purportedly seen trying to intercept and stop the accused by holding his hand, the person eventually backs off and runs away.

A preliminary examination of the body shows more than 34 wounds, said police. Out of these, 20 are stab wounds, said officers, adding that she had a ruptured skull.

One of the bystanders, requesting anonymity, told The Indian Express: “When I was passing through the spot, I saw that a girl… was lying lifelessly on the ground while the accused was hitting her with a boulder lying nearby by throwing it onto her and subsequently kicking her… He was very angry and there were two to three other passersby there at the time…I got scared as he was holding a knife in his hand”.

Soon after the incident, the accused switched off his phone and boarded a bus to Bulandshahr, police further said.

“It was his aunt who later called his father and informed him that he was with her. The police were already in touch with the father and other relatives, and got his location,” said an officer.