City 'love crime victim' was actually lone witness in a murder case: Cops

NEW DELHI: What had initially appeared to be a case of a 'spurned lover's rage' turned out to be a calculated murder-for-hire plot. Twenty-year-old Sayra Parveen was shot dead on April 14 in east Delhi's GTB Enclave, not over jealousy as her 'boyfriend' Rizwan (20) first claimed when he was arrested, but because she was a key witness in a murder case, say cops.

Delhi Police has now arrested two more men who allegedly masterminded the conspiracy to silence her. The accused were identified as Kishan Kumar (39) and Firoj Khan alias Aman (22).

The case came to light on April 14 when Parveen was found murdered. She had gone to meet Rizwan, whom she befriended through social media. Police nabbed Rizwan from Karnal in Haryana based on CCTV footage that showed the duo together before the murder.

Committed crime to 'prove himself', says hired killer
DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam stated that Rizwan initially misled investigators by claiming he killed Parveen out of jealousy, alleging she was with someone else. However, during sustained interrogation, Rizwan confessed that he was actually hired by Kishan and Firoj to kill Parveen.

The inquiry revealed that Parveen was a key witness in the murder case of Rahul, which occurred four months ago. "The incident took place when Parveen was harassed and assaulted by a group of local boys in Nand Nagri. Rahul, who was passing by, intervened to help her. The confrontation turned violent and ended in Rahul's killing. Parveen was made a witness in the murder case," police said.

According to a police source, Kishan, Rahul's uncle, and Firoj, a friend of the deceased, harboured resentment towards Parveen. They blamed her for Rahul's death, believing that if she wasn't involved in the altercation, Rahul wouldn't have intervened and been killed. Additionally, they feared that Parveen's friendship with some of the suspects would weaken the case, as she might turn hostile in court. This led them to plan her killing.

The accused hired Rizwan to befriend Parveen through social media. They met twice. On April 14, Rizwan found the opportunity and executed the plan.

The duo paid Rizwan Rs 15,000 and gave him a pistol to kill Parveen, promising Rs 1 lakh more. Rizwan, 'aspiring to be a gangster', confessed to the crime to prove himself. Kishan and Firoj were arrested. The weapon used in the crime and cash were recovered, along with mobile phones.