The nation has been deeply disturbed by the Sakshi murder case, which took place in Delhi and has garnered significant attention as the video of the crime went viral. The Delhi Police apprehended Sahil Sarfarraz Khan, the accused, in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. The arrest took place one day after he committed the heinous act of murdering Sakshi in Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy area on May 28. In a gruesome manner, he inflicted more than 20 stab wounds on the girl before brutally crushing her head with a stone.
During the ongoing investigation into the Sakshi murder case, the police are exploring the possibility of a love jihad angle. In line with this, OpIndia visited the Shahbad Dairy area to investigate further. Apart from closely examining the post-crime scenes at the location, the team uncovered additional startling facts and information about the area.
OpIndia was told that in the Shahbad Dairy area, illegal drugs are traded with impunity, with the police being complicit, and there is an influx of Bangladeshi Muslims settling in the area. Furthermore, the team came to know about a lack of well-maintained public spaces, encroachment on designated public areas, a rise in the crime rate, unsafe social conditions, and the mushrooming of unauthorized Mazars in the locality.
The post-crime scene on the spot
Dev Singh, one of the local journalists working for TezT24 news stays at a distance of two kilometres from the murder spot and was the first person to report the murder. OpIndia met him to know more about the post-crime situation on the spot. He said, “The incident took place between 8:45 pm to 9:00 pm. I received a call informing me about this crime and I reached there within 15-20 minutes. I saw that the Delhi police were there and they had kept the public at a distance. The dead body was half in the gutter and half outside that. The police had marked the dead body with the bricks lying nearby. The Delhi police noticed and identified me. They immediately started putting pressure on me. They told me not to cover this and leave the spot. They kept me at a distance. But somehow I managed to do the coverage. I left the spot at around 12 at night after the dead body was taken from here at 11:30 pm.”
Nobody on the spot spoke much about the crime
He further said, “About half an hour after I reached the spot, an ambulance was called. They kept the ambulance waiting for some time. The forensic team came after the ambulance. The team collected evidence like blood and other things. Around 4 to 5 friends of the victim were present there at that time. These friends included Neetu, Jhabru, Bhavna, and others. Jhabru helped lift the body and put it in the ambulance. This happened at around 11:30 pm. I somehow finished my reporting and left.”
Dev Singh said, “Nobody talked much during my coverage that day. It is quite obvious as every one of them was afraid that they may get into some trouble if they speak anything about the crime. Sakshi’s friends also did not say anything.”
Why did the police not allow journalists to report that day
Dev Singh said, “The police in this area create hindrance every time I report any crime. There is a reason behind that too. They don’t want the area to get defamed. They feel if crimes in the area and the illegal drug business gets covered in the media, then their police station unit or district will be defamed. This is why they don’t allow us to report. We usually don’t visit the spot unless Forensic Team arrives. We usually stand at a distance and report. But after the Forensic Team gets hold of the spot, then also, the police don’t allow us to report from the visible ranges of the crime spot.”
Illegal drugs and liquor businesses in the area
He said, “Illegal drugs, illegal liquor, and marijuana business is spread everywhere in this area. The police have failed to stop this menace and nor do they let us report properly when something is exposed or some crime happens. Suppose if something is published in the media, they do a raid or two for the namesake. no further action takes place. All these illegal businesses are mostly done by illegal Bangladeshi migrants most of whom are Muslims.”
Illegal Bangladeshi Muslims
Dev Singh informed, “There are many such slums in sectors 26, 27, and 28. These Bangladeshis live in these areas. Take the example of the Shahbad Dairy area. Every lane here is facing two to three problems. Be it illegal liquor, drugs, marijuana, betting, gambling, etc. Illegal Bangladeshis are involved in this. Recently, the Narcotic Control Bureau – a special team – raided this area of Swati Chowk to seize drugs worth Rs 35 lakh. These people sell illegal liquor and drugs in their houses. Some reports said that Sahil was either under the influence of drugs or drunk before committing the crime because it is so commonly available in this area. This is the failure of the administration in the narcotics front.”
Encroachments on public spaces
Dev Singh underlined the severe problem of encroachments in the area. He said, “You see the MCD parks? All of them are full of illegal encroachments. Where will the local public go for refreshing themselves? Where will they go? Are there some lawns to sit on? Can the family go there? Can the senior citizens go there for morning walks or evening walks? No. All the parks in the Shahbad Dairy area are filled with illegal settlers. We cannot say that this consists of one particular community. All types of people live there. They have encroached on it in their own style. There is not a single place here, where a family can together go, sit, talk, have fun and refreshments, and do a morning walk or evening walk. Everything is encroached upon. All public spaces are gone. In such a situation, if a girl goes at some distance away from home then there is a risk that she may get raped.”
Crime rates in AAP and Congress governments are the same
When asked if there is any difference in the crime rate after the AAP came to power in Delhi with a promise of good governance, Dev Singh said, “There is no change in the crime rates. It was the same in the Sheela Dixit government as it is now in the AAP government. Yesterday only an incident of cow slaughter took place not so far from here. It is a crime that takes place every day. Some days ago it happened in Rohini. Before that, it took place in Kanjhawala. Now, in sector 28. So no change in crime scenes. And in this country, we need a Yogi government then only it may stop. Otherwise, there are these Bangladeshi people and god knows what different communities are there which kill cows. Such crimes are constantly increasing and there is no change. That cow slaughter took place around 5 kilometres from here. And who kills cows? We Hindus worship cows like a mother. Can we kill our mother?”
