Key witness to murder gunned down: Police uncover contract killing plot disguised as love crime

By Sagaya Fernando | April 22, 2025

 

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New Delhi, India : What initially appeared to be a crime of passion in Delhi’s GTB Enclave has now been exposed as a meticulously planned contract killing. Sayra Parveen, a 20-year-old woman and a crucial witness in a prior murder case, was shot dead on the night of April 14 in what police now confirm was a deliberate plot to silence her.

Sayra was gunned down shortly after she stepped out of her home following dinner. Her body, bearing two bullet wounds, was discovered lying on a deserted road by her family, who began searching for her when she didn’t return home.

Police initially detained Rizwan, 20, a resident of the area, after reviewing CCTV footage that showed him with Sayra shortly before her death. Rizwan first claimed that he killed Sayra because she had rejected his romantic advances and had been meeting other men. However, under sustained interrogation, Rizwan confessed that the killing was not out of jealousy, but a hit job contracted by two men seeking revenge.

The investigation revealed that Sayra was the lone eyewitness in the murder of Rahul, a young man who was killed four months earlier in Nand Nagri, East Delhi. On that occasion, Sayra had been harassed by a group of local men. Rahul, who was passing by, intervened and was fatally assaulted during the altercation.

Rahul’s uncle, Kishan Kumar (39), and his friend Firoz, also known as Aman (22), held Sayra responsible for Rahul’s death. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam, the duo believed that if Sayra hadn’t been involved in the altercation, Rahul would not have stepped in and lost his life. They also feared Sayra was forming ties with some of the accused in Rahul's case and might retract her statement in court, weakening the prosecution’s case.

Police reports indicate that Kishan and Firoz began plotting Sayra's murder to prevent her from testifying. They offered Rizwan Rs 15,000 in advance and promised him an additional Rs 1 lakh after the murder, say the police. Rizwan, who aspired to become a feared figure or "dada" (thug) in his locality, accepted the offer as a chance to prove himself. Kishan also supplied him with a pistol and four bullets.

Rizwan befriended Sayra through social media and met her three times, with their final meeting on April 14 turning fatal. During their interaction that night, Rizwan saw an opening and executed the murder as planned.

Following Rizwan’s confession, Kishan and Firoz were arrested on April 21. Police recovered the murder weapon, the advance payment, and mobile phones used to coordinate the attack. Authorities also confirmed that Kishan has three previous criminal cases registered against him.

This chilling case, which initially misled investigators into believing it was a crime driven by love and rejection, has now been identified as a premeditated murder-for-hire, orchestrated to obstruct justice in a prior homicide.

The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in the case, highlighting the increasing misuse of social media platforms by criminals to lure victims and the dangerous lengths some individuals will go to silence witnesses.