New Delhi: A day after a 17-year-old youth was stabbed to death in north-east Delhi's Seelampur, Delhi Police is probing the role of a woman, who worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba's wife.
The victim, Kunal was stabbed on Thursday evening in New Seelampur. Police have identified two suspects, Sahil and Rehan, after scanning CCTV camera footage from the area, Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range), Pushpendra Kumar, said. The family members of the deceased have claimed that Zikra, a local woman known as 'lady don' in the area, was present at the crime scene when Kunal was killed, he said.
Police have detained Zikra for questioning though she has not been formally arrested. "We have identified the accused and they will be nabbed soon. At least 10 teams have been formed to crack the case, and they are looking at all possible angles. We have detained a few people for questioning. The case will be solved soon," Kumar said.
Zikra worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba's wife, Zoya, before she was arrested by Delhi Police in a drugs case. She was reportedly living with Zoya before the latter was jailed. It is believed that Zikra was trying to form her own gang after Zoya's arrest. The deceased's family members claimed that sometime back, a few members from Kunal's community allegedly attacked Zikra's cousin brother, Sahil, prompting police to register an attempt to murder case.
Kunal's murder could be an act of revenge for that incident. “It is suspected that Kunal was also involved in the stabbing of Sahil. Although Sahil did not die, he, along with Zikra, hatched a plan to take revenge for the attack," a family member said. Parveen, the mother of the deceased, told reporters, “Zikra used to roam around in the area with a pistol. An incident happened with her cousin Sahil but my son was not involved in it. Yet they killed him. They brutally stabbed him multiple times.”
Zikra was previously arrested under the Arms Act after posting a video with a pistol on social media. Out on bail, she was living in a rented house near Kunal’s residence. She reportedly led a gang of 10-12 young men, some of whose names are now surfacing in connection with Kunal’s murder. The deceased's family members also claimed that some residents of the area are being forced to flee out of their fear of Zikra.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the area with the deployment of local police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) amid protests by the local people and some Hindu outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). The case has also triggered a war of words between the ruling BJP and the opposition AAP, with both sides blaming each other for the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the capital city.
सीलमपुर में 17-साल के युवक की हत्या दिल्ली में बिगड़ती हुई कानून व्यवस्था का एक और उदाहरण है।
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) April 18, 2025
क्या कर रही है दिल्ली पुलिस?
क्या कर रहे हैं गृह मंत्री अमित शाह?
क्या कर रही है डबल इंजन की सरकार? https://t.co/RykHFSlEx4
Kunal was a resident of New Seelampur and worked at a factory in Gandhinagar. He was on his way to buy milk when he was stabbed at J Block in New Seelampur. He was rushed to Jag Pravesh Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The victim's body was sent for postmortem and team of forensic experts gathered evidence from the spot. Police are scanning the footages of CCTV cameras installed at and near the spot where the incident occurred. A case has been registered and investigation is on.
सीलमपुर में कुनाल नाम के 17 साल के दलित युवक की हत्या अत्यंत चिंताजनक है। क्षेत्र के लोगों में रोष बहुत ही स्वाभाविक है।
— Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) April 18, 2025
मैं रात से ही जिले से लेकर सीनियर पुलिस अधिकारियों से संपर्क में हूँ। अधिकांश अपराधी चिन्हित हो गए हैं और बाकी की भी गहन पड़ताल जारी है।अपराधी कहीं भी छुपने…
MP Manoj Tiwari and Leader of Opposition Atishi took to X to condemn the incident. Atishi came down on the Central and state government for rise in crimes in the national capital and demanded swift justice for the victim's family.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said she spoke to the Police Commissioner about the incident. "The police are searching for the accused and they will be arrested soon. An FIR has been registered and investigation started by police," she said.
#WATCH | On the murder of a 17-year-old boy in Seelampur, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta says, " i have spoken to the police commissioner on the murder of 17-year-old boy, kunal. the police are after the accused, and they will be caught soon. fir has been registered, and the police are on… pic.twitter.com/Hp3Mk6sLlO
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2025
