‘Lady don’ arrested, 3 detained for Seelampur teen’s murder

The Delhi Police have arrested a woman, who worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba’s wife, and detained three others in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in north-east Delhi’s Seelampur area, an official said on Friday.

Kunal Singh was killed around 7.30 pm on Thursday, just a few metres from his house, after he stepped out to buy milk to prepare tea for his ailing father, police said.

He was rushed to the JPC Hospital located nearby where doctors declared him brought dead, they added.

As the news of the murder spread, tension gripped the area as hundreds of locals and members of several Hindu outfits staged protests through Friday, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the killing.

The family members of the deceased claimed that Zikra, the arrested woman known locally as ‘lady don’, was present at the crime scene when Kunal was killed, a senior police officer said.

Police sources said while Zikra has been taken into custody, her cousins Sahil Khan and Rihan Mirza have been detained for questioning. Police have not shared the identity of the third detainee.

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 accommodation near Kunal’s house.

“Ten 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,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range), Pushpendra Kumar, told PTI.

Zikra worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba’s wife, Zoya, before the latter’s arrest 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, sources said.

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, the sources said.

According to police sources, the accused reportedly gave a warning to Kunal on Thursday morning before executing the murder in the evening.

“The accused got hold of Kunal opposite a Shiv-Parvati temple in the area. While two persons stabbed him, two others watched,” a source said.

Kunal somehow managed to enter a clinic just a few steps away from the crime scene, where the doctor tried to save his life by applying cotton on his wound.

“The doctor rushed him to a nearby hospital in an e-rickshaw but he died on the way,” the source added.

Speaking to mediapersons, Kunal’s father Rajdeep Singh said, “I was not keeping well for the past three months and recently underwent a surgery. I returned from the hospital only yesterday and asked my son to buy milk from the market to prepare tea. But the criminals killed him on the street.”

“I want justice for my son. Police are just giving us assurances but have done nothing till now,” he added.

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 had ambitions to launch her own gang. She wanted to get close to Hashim Baba through Zoya and also wanted to get involved in her drugs business. However, her plans suffered a setback after the arrest of Zoya, who helped her procure arms and ammunition,” the source said.

Zikra’s social media feed is filled with videos showing her brandishing firearms. She had more than 15,000 followers, the source said.

She reportedly led a gang of 10-12 young men, some of whose names are now surfacing in connection with Kunal’s murder.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the area with the deployment of police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) amid protests by the local people and some Hindu outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Posters with “Hindus are migrating” and “Please help, Yogi ji” written on them surfaced in the area, which police later removed.

AAP, BJP trade barbs over law and order situation         

The fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy has triggered a war of words between the ruling BJP and opposition AAP on Friday.

Both the sides blamed each other for the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the city.

Senior AAP leader and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Atishi accused the BJP-led Central government and Delhi Police of failing to ensure the safety of citizens.

“The murder of a 17-year-old youth in Seelampur is another example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi,” Atishi posted on X.

“What is Delhi Police doing? What is Home Minister Amit Shah doing? What is the double-engine government doing?” she asked, referring to the BJP government at the Centre which controls Delhi Police.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the family of the youth will get justice.

“I have talked to the Commissioner of Police. The police are making all efforts and I hope the accused will be arrested soon. It will be ensured that the family of the youth gets justice,” she said.