23-year-old man arrested for rape and murder of girlfriend in Firozabad

AGRA: A 23-year-old man allegedly booked a hotel room in Firozabad on his birthday to meet his 22-year-old girlfriend, consumed a sexual stimulant drug and raped her before killing her when she resisted his attempt to sexually assault her again, police said on Saturday. The woman, a Dalit who worked for a quick e-commerce firm in Gurgaon, was returning to her native village for Raksha Bandhan when the accused, a local resident, persuaded her to meet him on August 26, his birthday.

According to police, the accused prevented her from reaching home and took her to a hotel in Firozabad, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her. During the investigation, police recovered the woman’s mobile phone and tablets of the sexual stimulant drug from the accused’s possession. Police said the accused confessed to consuming the drug and raping the woman.

In the early hours of August 27, the accused allegedly tried to sexually assault her again. When she resisted, he allegedly killed her. A postmortem report stated “severe head injuries and internal bleeding” as the cause of death. The woman’s father filed a complaint at Shikohabad police station on August 27.

SP (Firozabad rural) Anuj Chaudhary said evidence collected during the investigation and the postmortem findings supported the rape charges. An FIR was registered under BNS sections 103(1) (murder) and 64(1) (rape), along with provisions of the SC/ST Act. Police later arrested the 23-year-old accused. He was produced before a court and sent to jail. A search is underway to arrest a 24-year-old co-accused who allegedly assisted in the crime.

The accused and the woman had studied together until Class 12. The woman later completed a BSc and a nursing course before taking up a job with a quick e-commerce delivery app company in Gurgaon.