Spurned lover stabs 17-year-old to death at Grain Market

Pooja Devi

A 17-YEAR-OLD green chilly seller was stabbed to death by her spurned lover in public view at Grain Market in Sector 26 on Friday. The accused, who is also a seller of green chilly, managed to escape and was later apprehended by the police from near Timber Market, Sector 26.

The police claimed Sunil Kumar, 19, a resident of Dhanas, was in one-sided love with the victim, Pooja Devi, of Sector 56, who had rejected his proposals on several occasions. Pooja was stabbed in her neck when she was going to take water along with her female friend at the Grain Market around 12.30 pm.

In her statement to the police, the victim’s friend stated, “Sunil suddenly appeared before them and told Pooja to come with him. But she refused. Subsequently, Sunil pulled a knife and attacked Pooja. Sunil had been angry with the victim for the last couple of days.”

The murder disrupted the usual business at the Grain Market for more than an hour and a half when dozens of vegetable sellers gathered on the spot.

Om Parkash, a vegetable seller and an eyewitness, said, “The victim ran for more than 50 metres putting her hand on her wound on the neck and fell near corner number-27 under the shed of vegetable sellers at the Grain Market. A local vegetable seller recorded on his cell phone the sequence of events. The victim fell on the ground in injured condition. We called the police.”

The victim was rushed to PGI, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Pooja used to sell green chillies at the Grain Market. Her parents, Bhagwat Dass and Gyanwati, too sell vegetables at the Grain Market. Accused Sunil along with his mother Premwati laid his stall outside the Post Office at the Grain Market. The police picked his mother and took her to a nearby police station for interrogation.

SSP (UT) Nilambri Vijay Jagdale said, “Accused Sunil was in a one-sided love affair with the victim. He murdered her as the victim had rejected his proposals. Further probe is on. We have collected all relevant evidence, including CCTV footage, in which the victim was shown running after being stabbed at the Grain Market.”

According to the victim’s family members, her elder sister committed suicide at her house last year. The victim is survived by another elder sister, who is married, and two younger brothers, who are school students. Inspector Jaspal Singh Bhullar, SHO of Sector 26 police station, said, “The victim and accused had known each other for a long time. The knife which was used in the murder was recovered from the spot.”

A case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC was registered at the Sector 26 police station.