Stalker killed Radhika in third attempt: Cops

“We have detained Ashraf and Tabreez,who facilitated the escape of the main accused,identified as Ram Singh alias Vijay (26),” said H G S Dhaliwal,DCP (South).

Three-and-a-half years ago,Ram Singh had been beaten up for allegedly stalking her,police said. To avenge the humiliation he felt for being beaten up in front of his community members,Singh decided to kill Radhika,police said. He stalked her on two occasions before finally shooting the 20-year-old at point blank range on Tuesday outside Ram Lal Anand College in South Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan,police said.

A native of Sitapur in UP,Vijay worked at a knitting factory in Naraina owned by one Kamal,who decided to fire him when he heard of Singh’s misdemeanours. “He left for Mumbai thereafter in search of employment,” said Dhaliwal.

The insult,however,left a permanent mark on Singh’s mind,and he returned to Naraina a month and a half ago. To keep an eye on Radhika’s movements,he sought work from Kamal again to be in the same locality. Kamal refused,forcing Singh to rent a place in Northwest Delhi’s Shakurpur area,where he got work at an embroidery unit,police said.

Singh also started to travel in the same bus as Radhika to track her movements. On March 4,he got to the same spot near the foot-overbridge with the intention of killing her. The area being overcrowded,he couldn’t attempt it. On March 8,he returned and shot her in full public view.

Singh then went to the rented accommodation of his accomplices,who worked at the knitting unit in Naraina. The latter,meanwhile,packed his belongings in Shakurpur. The three spent the night of March 8 in Rohini.

The next morning,the three went to Gurgaon to get Singh a job. “By then,the news of the murder had spread across television channels in the NCR region. Realising that the chances of getting caught were high,the three went to the Gurgaon railway station,where they parted ways. Ashraf and Tabreez left for Sitapur,while Singh fled,” Dhaliwal said.

The two were detained on Friday morning from Vishwan in Sitapur,450 km from the Capital. The two reportedly have confessed that they had helped Singh escape. Singh is likely to be arrested on Saturday,Dhaliwal added.