A 25 year old ice cream vendor was stabbed to death near India Gate, which is a high-security area in central Delhi, on Wednesday in a suspected case of love triangle. The police arrested the accused identified as Ajay from Uttar Pradesh’s Noida in the early hours of Thursday, an official said adding that the minor girl has also been apprehended for questioning.

The victim, identified as Prabhat, aged 25 years old, was standing near his ice cream cart when he was attacked by Ajay, alias Akshay, at the C-Hexagon of India Gate at around 9 pm. Passersby informed the police after they saw Prabhat lying on the ground in an unconscious state, the police official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla said due to the sensitivity of the case, around 12 police teams were formed and multiple CCTV cameras and technical evidence were analysed. The accused Ajay was arrested within eight hours from Noida. Prabhat’s two mobile phones were recovered from the possession of the accused. However, the knife used in the commission of crime is yet to be recovered, according to the police.

The police said that Prabhat and Ajay were in a relationship with a teenage girl who lives in south Delhi. “During interrogation, Ajay confessed to killing Prabhat and revealed that he was introduced by the girl to Prabhat as she wanted to get rid of him,” the DCP said.

The minor girl has also been apprehended for questioning. The technical evidence proved the role of the girl in the conspiracy, the officer said, adding, she told police that Prabhat used to force her not to talk with Ajay. The officer said the girl was in regular touch on the phone with the accused on the day of the incident. Ajay also called her after he stabbed Prabhat and fled, the person said.

The girl was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) before being sent to a correctional home for minors, the officer said. The police said Prabhat, hailing from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, was staying in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. He used to sell ice cream on his cart in South and New Delhi.

Ajay, a native of UP’s Gonda, used to work in a tent house in Noida. “On Wednesday night, Ajay came with a knife and stabbed Prabhat multiple times and fled from the scene,” the police official said.