Student murdered by jealous classmate

By Sagaya Fernando | June 7, 2025

New Delhi, INDIA: A male student has been arrested for the alleged murder of his 18-year old classmate who who went missing earlier this week. The accused has confessed to killing her out of jealousy, investigators said.

The victim, a student at the School of Open Learning (SOL) at Delhi University, left her home in northwest Delhi on the morning of Sunday, June 1, to attend classes. Around noon, she informed her mother via phone that she would return shortly. When she failed to come home, her family began searching for her and later contacted police. A kidnapping case was registered that evening.

According to investigators, the suspect, Arshkrit Singh, 18, lured the victim to Sanjay Van, a wooded area near Mehrauli in south Delhi, under the pretense of reconciliation. Singh allegedly used a fake social media account to message her and convince her to meet. He waited at the location from around 8:30 am, police said.

When the girl arrived later in the day, Singh led her to a secluded area, stabbed and strangled her, and then attempted to set the body on fire in an effort to destroy evidence, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan.

Singh reportedly sustained minor injuries during the attack and was later admitted to a hospital in Pitampura. On Sunday June 1 evening, the accused's father contacted the victim’s family, claiming his son had been injured in an attack. When the family called Singh for answers, he falsely claimed that the victim had assaulted him with a knife.

Following a search operation and review of CCTV footage, police detained Singh. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to the crime and provided information that led officers to the girl’s body in Sanjay Van. The murder weapon has been recovered.

The victim’s family told The Times of India that Singh had been harassing her for several months after she severed ties with him. The two had met at a party and remained friends for some time. However, when she distanced herself, Singh reportedly became possessive and confrontational, visiting her home uninvited and once physically assaulting her at a Korean language class by twisting her arm.

Investigators believe the murder was premeditated. Singh has been charged with murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. Authorities are continuing to examine his digital communications and social media activity to establish further evidence of planning.