Delhi ‘psycho killer’ held for raping and murdering woman near Adarsh Nagar railway station

New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a 23-year-old man accused of raping and brutally murdering a mentally challenged woman in Adarsh Nagar. The police described the suspect, identified as Salman alias Bona, as a “psycho killer” due to the extreme brutality of the crime.

According to officials, Salman was tracked down and arrested from Vedach in Gujarat after an intensive multi-state search. Investigators zeroed in on him using CCTV footage and a pair of slippers he left behind at the crime scene.

The victim, a 52-year-old ragpicker named Seejan from Metro Vihar in Holambi Kalan, was found dead on November 16 in the bushes behind Adarsh Nagar Railway Station. Her semi-naked body bore deep cuts on her face and head, believed to have been inflicted with a sharp weapon.

Police recovered a knife-like object, the woman’s slippers and a pair of men’s slippers from the spot, prompting the registration of a murder and rape case. CCTV footage from a nearby public toilet later showed the woman entering the premises, followed shortly by a man wearing a pink shirt, grey trousers and white-and-black slippers-matching the pair found at the scene. The footage then captured the suspect walking away barefoot towards Sarai Peepal Thala.

Investigators traced the man to the jhuggis of Badhola village. However, he had fled by the time the police reached his residence. Teams were dispatched to Loni in Ghaziabad, Mukundpur and Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh, but the accused remained out of reach. His mobile phone had been switched off since a day before the killing.

A breakthrough came on the night of November 17-18, when police received information that Salman had escaped to Gujarat. He was arrested soon after and, during interrogation, admitted to the crime.

Police said the accused followed the woman, hit her on the head with a stone, raped her while she was seriously injured and later killed her using a sharp-edged weapon. “The brutality of the crime is shocking. We are examining all angles, including why he targeted a mentally challenged woman,” an officer said.

Investigators added that Salman is a repeat offender and has been involved earlier in cases of robbery, kidnapping and the rape of a minor.

(with inputs from agencies)