New Delhi: College student Roshni Ahirwar, 20, who was shot dead around 11.30 am Monday in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun, allegedly by two men on a motorcycle, was “killed by a former suitor” after he came to know of her alleged relationship with another man, police have claimed.
Roshni was shot on the head while she was returning home after appearing in an examination. Police have identified her “suitor” and the accused as Raj Ahirwar.
A video, purportedly of the shooting, went viral on social media and appeared to show the victim lying on the ground in a pool of blood, while people and the police looked on. Sharing the video on Twitter, the Rashtriya Janata Dal had asked whether “this murder will be celebrated as well”.
Roshni’s case came two days after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead while in police custody, allegedly by three men posing as journalists.
The Atiq incident, which took place in the state’s Prayagraj, had already drawn criticism for the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, with opposition parties questioning the law and order situation in UP.
Speaking toThePrint on the Roshni case, Jalaun superintendent of police (SP) Iraj Raja claimed, “Roshni and Raj had been in a relationship for the past one year and had broken up two months ago, after which Raj continued to harass her”.
The two were from the same caste and same district and were about to be married, but Roshni broke off the relationship, Raja added, further claiming that Raj suspected Roshni had been cheating on him.
“The two had met on social media and Roshni belonged to the accused’s hometown. Raj had been following her for the past two months in a bid to talk to her, but she refused to do so,” claimed Raja.
‘Accused tried to escape from custody’
According to police, Raj was arrested after the victim’s parents registered a complaint against him. However, he tried to escape from custody and was injured in police firing after he snatched the station head officer’s gun.
“Raj fired shots at the police, and the officers retaliated. He was injured in both legs and is currently being treated in the district hospital,” said SP Raja.
The police are hunting for the other man on the motorcycle, who they claim was Raj’s cousin.
While the body has been sent for a postmortem examination, an FIR has been lodged against Raj under Sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, the police added.
In the FIR, accessed by ThePrint, the victim’s brother has named Raj as the perpetrator and alleged that the accused had also threatened Roshni in the past. The FIR also mentions that the victim’s brother was with her at the time of the incident.
ThePrint reached the victim’s father, Man Singh, over phone for comment, but received no response till the time of publication of this report.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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