Delhi fridge murder: Nikki Yadav’s father ‘unaware’ of daughter’s marriage with accused Sahil Gehlot

Reacting to Delhi Police’s claim that Nikki, who was strangulated to death with a phone’s data cable, got married to accused Sahil Gahlot in an Arya Samaj Temple three years ago, Sunil Yadav, father of deceased girl on Saturday said that he was "unaware" of it.

"None in the family knows anything about this (marriage)," he said. Earlier today, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch after interrogating Sahil at length revealed that the accused and the deceased girl were married and not just mere live-in partners.

 Officials of the Crime Branch after interrogating Sahil, accused of strangulating her Nikki (25) with a phone’s data cable and stuffing her body in a fridge of his family-owned dhaba in Delhi’s Mitraon village, at length revealed that the duo had solemnised their marriage in an Arya Samaj Temple three years ago.

"During police custody, Sahil disclosed that Nikki was asking him not to marry another girl because both had already solemnised their marriage in 2020 and were actually husband and wife and not live-in partners," Special CP Ravinder Yadav said.

He also told police that Nikki was repeatedly objecting to his impending marriage, fixed by his family on 10 February, 23. Fed up with repeated objections by the deceased, Sahil planned to kill Nikki and executed the murder along with his accomplices, also family members and acquaintances, on February 10 on the day of his second marriage," Special CP Ravinder Yadav said.

Delhi Police earlier told ANI that the Crime Branch has arrested five persons, including Sahil`s father in connection with the case on charges of helping his son in the "conspiracy". Sahil`s father, Ashish, Naveen, Amar, and Lokesh were arrested by Crime Branch.

Later it was revealed that among the arrested persons, Naveen-- a cousin of the prime accused-- is a Delhi Police Constable, who accompanied Sahil in hatching the conspiracy.

The five persons have been booked under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 202 (knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed), and 212 (harbouring or concealing offender) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Earlier on Wednesday, the last rites of Nikki Yadav, who was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend with a charging cable, were performed in her native Haryana’s Jhajjar. Nikki was strangled to death allegedly by her partner after she came to know of his impending marriage with another woman, police said.

After his arrest on Tuesday, the accused Sahil Gehlot was presented before a Delhi court and sent to five-day police remand. DCP Crime Branch Satish Kumar said that the accused is on remand for five days and an inquiry is on to identify the route taken that night.

"The accused is on remand for five days. Inquiry is on. Our multiple teams are working to identify the route taken that night. We are also scanning CCTV footage," said the DCP crime.

Kumar further said that on February 9 there was an argument about his marriage and Sahil got and strangulated the victim with a mobile cable. The accused was getting engaged on February 9.

The accused went to meet Nikki at her flat and left early in the morning, they went to many places in Delhi, during which there was an argument about his marriage. During this, he got angry and strangulated the victim with a mobile cable, said DCP Crime Branch.

"After that, he kept the victim`s body in the refrigerator in a dhaba in Mitraon village and then the accused went to his marriage. We are investigating deeply about this case," he added.

READ | Nikki Yadav murder: 5 chilling similarities between Shraddha Walkar case and Delhi Najafgarh case