Delhi: SIM card inserted in woman’s phone led police to her killer

The main accused has been identified as Mazid (22). DCP (South East) Chinmoy Biswal said, “Questioning has revealed that the victim boarded Mazid’s auto at 7.30 pm that day. His intention changed midway and he took a different route to her house, even though she asked him not to. He took her to a deserted place near the flyover, strangled her and looted her.”

Apart from some gold jewellery, Mazid also took off with Lata’s phone, said police. He then met his friend Govindpal, also an auto driver, and told him about the incident. “Govindpal, the other accused, advised Mazid to throw the phone away… when Mazid threw it away, Govindpal took it,” Biswal said.

For months, surveillance of Lata’s phone didn’t yield anything. On June 12, a SIM card was inserted in the phone and it was traced to Kannauj. “Govindpal was in Kannauj for a wedding and gave the phone to a relative, who began using it. We got in touch with the relative, who led us to Govindpal,” said a police officer. On August 8, Govindpal and Mazid were arrested. The operation was led by SHO Govindpuri, Satish Rana.

An officer said, “Mazid revealed that he did not want to ferry her that day but was forced to. He said she kept berating him and his profession, which angered him and he decided to loot her. When she raised an alarm, he strangled her.”