On October 26, a 21-year-old student named Nikita Tomar was shot dead by two men outside the Aggarwal college in Ballabgarh, Faridabad. The victim had last month filed a complaint of molestation and harassment against one of the accused Taufeeq. The incident took place around 3.45 pm, when the girl, Nikita Tomar, came out of her college after giving her exam. Nikita was a final year B.Com student. In the CCTV footage posted by journalist Raj Shekhar Jha on Twitter, the accused is seen stepping out of his car and pulling out his revolver. The accused, who arrived at the spot in an i20 car, tried to pull Nikita inside, in a possible bid to kidnap her. When she resisted, one accused Tufeeq shot her.
The other accused immediately got out of the car and pulled Taufeeq back into the car. Both then fled the crime scene. As per reports, the accused wanted to kidnap Nikita but killed her when she managed to run. On being rushed to the hospital, Nikita was declared dead. Nikita and her family had also filed a molestation complaint against Taufeeq last month. The primary accused has now been arrested. While speaking about the incident, ACP (Ballabgarh) Jaiveer Rathi informed, “One of the accused identified as Taufeeq hailing from Sohna was known to the victim and a complaint against him had been lodged by the victim’s kin a few months ago for harassment and molestation but a compromise had been reached.” According to him, the ‘rejection of friendship’ could be a motive behind the crime. The police have launched a manhunt against the two accused.
As per the sources said, Taufeeq studied with Nikita Tomar till class 12th and had kidnapped her in 2017 in what police said was a one-sided love affair. The family had lodged an FIR but later withdrew the case due to social stigma and to allegedly keep their daughter out of any legal procedure. However, the accused Tufeeq continued to harass her. Tomar lived with her family in Sector 23 in Ballabgarh.
The family member has alleged that it was a case of love jihad and the accused had been forcing the girl to convert her religion for the last three years. When she refused to convert to Islam, the accused tried to abduct her and shot her dead in the broad daylight.
“He tried to forcibly make her sit in his car but she refused and then he shot her,” the victim’s father said. Nikita’s father had earlier in 2018 filed a molestation complaint against Taufeeq.
“Hindu ki beti hain toh koi kuch bhi karega kya”, said Nikita’s brother adding that had it been a Muslim victim and a Hindu perpetrator, the entire administration would have been on its feet to punish the criminals. “Were they waiting for our daughter to die?” lambasted the brother, asking the police to nab the second accused as soon as possible. “The second accused in the case is still on the run, we demand that he is arrested immediately and strict action is taken against the perpetrators,” said the brother.
In the FIR filed in 2018, the father had stated that Taufeeq had tried to abduct her, as told to him by Nikita herself.
Speaking about the incident, ACP (Ballabgarh) Jaiveer Rathi informed that the primary accused had been arrested. “One of the accused identified as Taufeeq hailing from Sohna was known to the victim and a complaint against him had been lodged by the victim’s kin a few months ago for harassment and molestation but a compromise had been reached.” According to him, the ‘rejection of friendship’ could be a motive behind the crime.
Condemning the incident, BJP spokesperson Raman Malik said this is a ‘jihadi’ kind of activity and the police cannot be standing everywhere at all times.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted across the town against the incident of love jihad after the friends of Nikita Tomar staged a demonstration outside the Aggarwal College where she was shot dead. The protesters demanded justice for the victims and stringent punishment for those responsible for the heinous crime. As per a Times Now report, the protesting students have also blocked the main highway from where all the trucks and cars pass towards Ballabhgarh-Sohna road area.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), had recently expressed its deep concern over the increasing incidents of suicide being committed by girls suffering from Love Jihad. The Hindu organisation had demanded urgent enactment of a law to stop love jihad.
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