Delhi Police have uncovered a disturbing case in which a 21-year-old woman, a forensic science student from Moradabad, murdered her live-in partner in North Delhi&rsquo;s Timarpur and then tried to disguise the crime as an accidental fire. Investigators say the woman, inspired by crime shows and armed with forensic knowledge, created a deadly mix of ghee and alcohol to set the room ablaze and mislead police.
The incident took place in the early hours of October 6. Around 2:50 am, police received a call about a fire in a fourth-floor flat at Gandhi Vihar. After firefighters extinguished the flames, they discovered a badly burnt body inside. At first, the case was treated as a possible accident caused by negligence. However, doubts arose when the victim&rsquo;s cousin questioned the circumstances of the fire. CCTV footage from the area soon revealed two people entering the building before the blaze and only one woman leaving moments before it began.
The woman was identified as the deceased&rsquo;s 21-year-old partner, a BSc forensic science student who had been in a relationship with him since May. Investigators later learned that the relationship had soured after the victim, a UPSC aspirant, allegedly recorded obscene videos of her and refused to delete them. Humiliated and angry, the woman turned to her ex-boyfriend for help. Together, along with another accomplice, they planned to eliminate the victim and destroy all traces of the act.
On the night of October 5, the trio went to the victim&rsquo;s residence. Police say the group strangled and assaulted the man before pouring ghee and alcohol on his body to create an accelerant for the fire. The woman allegedly used her understanding of forensic procedures to ensure the crime looked like an accident. Her ex-boyfriend, who works as an LPG distributor, manipulated a gas cylinder to intensify the blaze. The group opened the regulator and used a lighter to ignite the fire before fleeing the scene with the victim&rsquo;s hard disk, laptop, and other belongings.
About an hour later, the gas cylinder exploded, reducing the room to ashes and leaving the body unrecognizable. However, investigators pieced together the evidence using CCTV footage, call records, and technical surveillance. The woman was arrested from Moradabad on October 18, followed by her ex-boyfriend on October 21 and their accomplice two days later.
Police have recovered the stolen hard disk, a trolley bag, two mobile phones, and clothing linked to the crime. Forensic analysis is underway to confirm the exact cause of death, and the viscera report is awaited.
According to officials, the case exposes how exposure to crime content and access to digital knowledge can dangerously blend into real-life acts of violence.

Delhi student kills partner, fakes fire scene

Forensic student, aided by ex, used ghee and alcohol to stage her partner’s death

Delhi student kills partner, fakes fire scene

Forensic student, aided by ex, used ghee and alcohol to stage her partner’s death

October 27, 2025 | 16:12 IST