Faridabad: Stalker shoots and injures Class 12 girl returning from library

The girl had severed all connections with him and blocked his contact number a fortnight ago, which enraged him. It was after that he probably planned to murder her for revenge, police said

A 17-year-old girl was critically injured after being shot by a 26-year-old man who had been stalking her since the past few months in Faridabad, police said on Tuesday, adding that the suspect continues to be on the run and crime branch teams are carrying out raids to arrest him.

Police said the suspect used to visit the same library for his studies about a year ago, and that was where he first met the girl. (Representational image)

The incident took place on a residential road in Ballabgarh’s Shyam Colony around 5.20pm on Monday when the victim, a Class 12 student at a private school in Faridabad, was returning home to Bhagat Singh Colony after visiting the library.

A police officer aware of the investigation said the suspect is a resident of Saramathla in Gurugram’s Sohna, works at a private firm in Faridabad. He used to visit the same library for his studies about a year ago, where he first met the girl.

The officer said the man had been harassing her for several months and repeatedly pestering her to speak to him.

“The girl had severed all connections with him and blocked his contact number a fortnight ago, which enraged him. It was after that he probably planned to murder her for revenge,” the officer said.

Investigators said the suspect arrived near the library on a motorcycle on Monday evening and waited for the girl to come out. She and two of her friends had walked barely 200 metres when he intercepted her and pointed a pistol at her head.

Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police, said the suspect pulled the trigger but the countrymade pistol misfired.

“He pulled the trigger again and this time the pistol fired. The girl had moved by then and she ended up sustaining gunshot wounds to the left forearm and shoulder,” he said.

Yadav said police have CCTV footage of the incident, which shows the suspect opening fire from just inches away.

“The girl’s hair could be seen flying in the air from the muzzle flash soon after the suspect pulled the trigger for the second time. He had reached there with a clear motive to murder the girl but she miraculously survived as the pistol had malfunctioned. We have formed four teams to nab the suspect at the earliest,” he said.

Investigators said the suspect threw the pistol at the spot and fled on his motorcycle. The girl was rushed to a private hospital, where her condition was reported to be stable.

The attack left the two girls accompanying the victim terrified; and they ran away as soon as the armed man confronted them. Locals rushed out of their homes and alerted police around 5.30pm, after which forensic experts and investigators reached the spot.

Based on the girl’s statement, a case of attempt to murder under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Arms Act was registered against the suspect at City Ballabgarh police station on Monday night.