Seelampur murder: Delhi police arrest 'Lady Don' Zikra, detain three others in 17-year-old boy's stabbing case

Delhi Police has 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 meters 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 the 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 that 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 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 to 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 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 drug 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.

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.

(With PTI inputs)