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Burari murder: Woman stabbed 22 times in broad daylight; accused arrested

The 21-year-old victim had rejected the accused's marriage proposal several times. On Tuesday morning at 9 am, on a busy Delhi road, the accused stabbed her as many as 22 times as no onlooker came forward to help.

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In a terrifying incident, a 21-year-old woman teacher bled to death in broad daylight today as her stalker stabbed her as many as 22 times in a busy road in front of hoards of onlookers in North Delhi's Burari, yet again exposing the city's impassive side.

The sheer savagery of the murder during the morning rush hour and caught in CCTV camera, drew widespread outrage and horror. The Centre has sought a report from Delhi Police even as Aam Aadmi Party slammed Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, saying the horrific incident is reflective of "deteriorating" law and order situation in the capital.

The victim was identified as Karuna Kumar, who worked as a teacher at Novel Riches School. The attacker, 34-year-old Surender Singh, was stalking her for over a year-and-a-half. Karuna, with her cousin Neha, was on her way to work when Surender attacked her with a pair of scissors near Labour Chowk in Burari around 9am on Tuesday, police said.

As Surender caught Karuna off guard and plunged the single blade of scissors in her body, a man rushed to stop him but soon backed off fearing attack on himself. Within two-and-a-half minutes, Surender had stabbed Karuna 22 times, as onlookers kept away. Karuna was rushed to Sushrut Trauma Centre in Civil Lines where she was declared brought dead.

Surender was beaten up by the locals, who caught him and handed him over to the police.

Victim had rejected accused's marriage proposal several times

Police said Surender had been stalking Karuna for the last one-and-a-half years and and her family had lodged a complaint against him. She had rejected his marriage proposal several times, police said. She used to learn computer at the training centre owned by Surender when he fell in love with her, police said.

"We have sought a factual report from Delhi Police Commissioner over the incident. Whatever happened is very sad," Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told reporters.

The victim's family staged a protest near Sushrut Trauma Centre and blocked the traffic for an hour alleging the police were not giving them proper details. Karuna's uncle Vinay said she used to support her two younger brothers, Manish and Himanshu, who are studying. "My brother Naresh has a shop in Sant Nagar where he sells bags. He makes around Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000. Since Karuna finished her BA through a correspondence course and got a job, she had been helping her father. Even though she earned Rs 5,000, she would help her brothers," he said.

The victim's brother Manish demanded stringent punishment for the accused. He said Surender used to harass his sister and when the matter was taken to the police, his parents came and apologised.

"After a compromise was reached between our families, he had stopped stalking my sister. We don't know what prompted him to suddenly kill my sister so brutally," he said.

While the woman's family has been claiming that Surender was stalking Karuna, the accused has told the police he was in a relationship with her and they were "looking to get married", said a senior police officer. Surender has told the police that the two had been "in a relationship for the last one year and their families knew about it".

Police are investigating the matter and trying to trace the man who was accompanying Surender on a motorbike when he stabbed her, said the officer.

Criminals getting increasingly fearless: Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said criminals were getting increasingly "fearless" in the city as police was investing its energy on harassing AAP MLAs. Sisodia also said that the society needs to introspect on how it remains "mute" in such situations.

The ruling AAP also fielded its women MLAs who vowed to take up the issue with the President of India, Union Home Minister and the Lt Governor and "not rest" till the authorities come up with a roadmap to bolster women's safety in the national capital.

A case under section 302 IPC (murder) has been registered against the accused, said DCP (North) Madhur Verma.

The incident came a day after a 32-year-old woman was stabbed to death by a man who claimed to love her in southwest Delhi's Inderpuri area. Delhi records an extremely high number of stalking-related crimes every year. 

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, who had earlier dubbed Delhi the "stalking capital" of India, said the incident exposed the "hollowness" of the law and order system and called for the hanging of such criminals, "pending which nothing will change".

 

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