17-year-old girl murdered, body found in suitcase dumped in Delhi's Burari; cousin arrested
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly murdered by her cousin amid an ongoing family dispute, with her body packed into a suitcase and dumped at a secluded spot in north Delhi's Burari, police said on Tuesday, August 18.
The killing came to light after the Special Staff of the Outer North district police received a tip-off, leading a team to apprehend the accused, who subsequently confessed to the crime and led police to the location where he had disposed of the body, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Shobhit D Saksena.
The accused, a mason by profession and a native of Bihar, had been residing in Delhi's Mukundpur, according to the DCP.
"Our team got secret information that a man, carrying a suitcase was going towards Burari in a suspicious condition. The team called the suspect for questioning, and he confessed that he had killed his 17-year-old cousin sister. He told police that he killed her, packed her body in the suitcase and dumped the suitcase at a dark spot in the Burari area," Saksena said.
Following the accused's disclosure, police reached Ajit Vihar in Burari and recovered the suitcase containing the girl's body. The matter was also brought to the attention of the North district police, the DCP added.
During questioning, the accused told police he killed the girl over an ongoing family dispute, Saksena said. However, police sources said a preliminary line of inquiry was also examining whether suspicion over the girl's alleged love affair may have played a role in the killing.
The exact motive has not been conclusively established, and police said they are probing all aspects of the case.
According to initial information, the murder had gone unreported until police received the tip-off that led to the arrest.
The body has been sent for a postmortem examination, with the report expected to help establish the cause and manner of death. Burari police have been informed, and further investigation is underway, officials said.
Police are also examining forensic evidence and other material collected from the recovery spot, and are questioning the accused to determine whether he acted alone.
(Inputs from PTI)
