Some friends and family members of the 20-year-old girl, who was shot dead outside her college two days ago, said that the suspect’s sketch matched with a “stalker” who was beaten up for harassing her earlier.
Investigators said they have “narrowed down” on the line of investigations, though they are verifying several points that have emerged during the probe, even as two more people approached police with “relevant inputs”.
Radhika Tanwar was shot dead on a foot-over-bridge outside Ramlal Anand College in Dhaula Kuan’s Shantiniketan on Tuesday by an unidentified person.
“Some friends and close family members have told us that the suspect’s sketch matched with the person who had stalked her some time back. They were aware of a certain incident which happened sometime back,” H.G.S. Dhaliwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said.
“They have told us that the portrait largely resembles the person who was earlier involved in the incident,” Mr. Dhaliwal said.
However, he said, the sketch was prepared on the basis of vague recollection of three persons who saw the attacker running away. “Nobody has seen him from front… We are verifying it,” he said, adding, nobody has been detained in this connection.
He said the family or friends do not know the identity of the “stalker”, his residential address or parentage.
Mr. Dhaliwal said the incident of stalking was not reported to police. “There is a handicap. Nobody knows who he is, where is his residence. There is no documentation of the incident as it was not reported to police. Normally in such incidents people do not approach police,” he said.
However, he said, police needs to do more verification on this.
A senior police official said they were in the process of verifying the people who had left Naraina village in the past few years. “The village houses a number of fabrics and garment units,” he said.
There were three incidents of locals beating up youths for harassing girls. “We are looking into all these. These are three different cases,” he said.
Investigators had on Thursday expressed dismay that no one, who was present at the scene has come forward.
Police have ruled out property or monetary angle in the murder which shocked the capital and said it appeared that some personal issue was behind the incident.
Don’t remain mute spectators: Dikshit
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday rued the indifferent attitude of passersby when Tanwar was shot dead in broad day light and asked the civil society to raise its voice and not remain mute spectators to such incidents.
Asking people and civil society to play a “responsible role” in ensuring safety of women in the city, Ms. Dikshit expressed shock that not a single person had come forward to help Tanwar after she received bullet injuries in the crowded area near Dhaula Kuan.
“It was not an isolated place. So many people were there. But none of them either raised voice or came forward to take her to a hospital. It is extremely unfortunate that everybody present there kept their eyes shut and she was taken to hospital only after police van had reached,” said Ms. Dikshit.
Holding that civil society’s indifferent attitude to the incident was really a matter of concern, Ms. Dikshit said only police should not be held responsible for such incidents.
“People who were present at the spot shut their eyes, saying it doesn’t matter to me and I am not concerned. This is unfortunate.
“Police should not be held responsibility alone. It is a collective responsibility of police as well as civil society to ensure safety of women in the city,” Ms. Dikshit, who had on Wednesday blamed police for deteriorating law and order situation, said.
Delhi Police had also expressed its dismay on Wednesday that no one who was present at the scene has come forward as witness to the incident.
Ms. Dikshit had on Wednesday met the family of Tanwar at Naraina village and assured the family of the girl that her government will do the needful so that the family gets justice.
