Family and friends of the victim Nikita Tomar (left) staged a protest on the Ballabhgarh-Sohna road, Tuesday. ANIA 20-year-old woman was shot dead outside her college in broad daylight, allegedly by two men who tried to first drag her into a car and then opened fire when she resisted. Both the accused, including the 21-year-old main accused who was a classmate of the victim’s in school, have been arrested. The incident was captured on a CCTV camera.
The victim has been identified as Nikita Tomar, a third-year year B.Com student. The accused have been identified as Tauseef, a resident of Kabir Nagar in Sohna, Gurgaon, and Rehan, a resident of Rewasan village in Nuh. Tomar’s family alleged Tauseef had been pressuring her to marry him.
Police said the incident took place around 4 pm Monday outside Aggarwal College in Ballabhgarh where the victim studied. In his police complaint, Tomar’s brother Naveen said she had just left college after an exam when the two men obstructed her path and tried to drag her into a white i20 car, shooting her when she resisted.
Footage shows one of the two accused trying to push the woman into the car at gunpoint. As he opens the rear door of the vehicle and pushes her head, she manages to free herself and rushes behind her friend, who tries to shield her from the accused. The main accused pulls her friend away and points the weapon at Tomar even as the second accused can be seen getting out of the car and rushing towards him. In the seconds that follow, the main accused shoots Tomar as his accomplice grabs his arm. The men rush to the car and speed away, leaving Tomar on the ground in a pool of blood with her friend looking on.
The victim was rushed to a private hospital nearby but succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment. Police said she had been shot in her right shoulder, with the bullet going straight through her body.
An FIR was registered under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) and Section 25 of the Arms Act, said police, adding that a team reached the crime scene immediately and found a pool of blood and the country-made pistol used in the murder. “A five-hour operation was carried out immediately after the incident, spanning three districts of Faridabad, Palwal, and Nuh. The main accused, Tauseef, was arrested from Nuh on Monday night. Investigation revealed an FIR had been registered against him by the victim’s relatives in 2018 as well for kidnapping. But the parents later submitted they did not want further investigation into the matter, and the FIR had been cancelled,” said Commissioner of Police O P Singh.
“While Tauseef was a third-year physiotherapy student, Rehan was his friend. He was arrested on Tuesday afternoon from Nuh. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to carry out further investigation in the matter. The accused have been produced in court today and taken into police remand for further questioning. During this time, we will also retrieve the car used in the crime and determine where he procured the weapon. We will ensure the strictest punishment possible for the accused,” he said.
Family and friends of the victim blocked the Ballabhgarh-Sohna road for several hours on Tuesday, shouting slogans and demanding capital punishment.
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij also took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to offer reassurance of a “quick investigation” into the matter. “Both accused involved in the brutal murder of a girl student in Faridabad last evening have been arrested. The murder weapon has been recovered. An SIT led by ACP Crime Anil Kumar would ensure quick investigation and time-bound trial to ensure justice to the family,” he tweeted.