The criminal past of Mohammad Imran, alias Aqib, who is accused of murdering 21-year-old Delhi model Muskan Sharma, has come under scrutiny after police found that he had previously been booked under the POCSO Act and was also named in a culpable homicide case.
Imran, a gym trainer, was injured in both legs during a police encounter in Rajouri Garden on Thursday night after he allegedly opened fire at a police team attempting to arrest him. Muskan was allegedly murdered by Imran at her home in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar on Wednesday.
According to police, Imran resisted arrest and fired at the personnel. The police team retaliated, firing seven rounds, three of which struck him in the legs. He was taken to a hospital, where he remains under treatment. Investigators are also examining whether Imran had gone live on social media shortly before the murder and allegedly threatened to kill Muskan. Sources said Muskan had stopped answering his calls and had blocked him on social media. Police suspect that Imran subsequently tried contacting her from different phone numbers. Investigators believe he may have called her on the day of the murder and became angry after she allegedly refused to respond.
A record dating back to 2018
Police said their inquiry revealed that Imran was booked under the POCSO Act in 2018 for allegedly sexually harassing a minor in Tilak Nagar.
The case also included allegations under provisions relating to voluntarily causing hurt, stalking, outraging the modesty of a woman and common intention.
Police said the 2018 case was not his only previous brush with the law.
In 2021, Imran was allegedly named in a culpable homicide case involving an assault on a man who suffered serious head injuries and subsequently slipped into a coma.
According to the complainant, the incident took place on the night of October 30, 2020. He alleged that Imran struck him on the head with a stone slab and then hit him on the nose with the same object while he was lying on the ground.
The man remained hospitalised for six days. A case was registered the following year on the orders of a court.
Police say accused kept changing locations
Following Muskan’s murder, police suspect that Imran took her iPhone, possibly in an attempt to delete messages and chats and prevent investigators from recovering a digital trail.
After allegedly fleeing the crime scene, he repeatedly changed his location, prompting police teams to conduct raids across west Delhi and neighbouring areas.
DCP (West) Hareshwar Swami said a police team spotted a suspicious man near the sub-registrar’s office in Rajouri Garden on Thursday evening.
When officers approached him, they allegedly identified him as Imran and attempted to apprehend him. Police said he then opened fire at the team, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
A total of 11 rounds were fired during the encounter. Police said Imran fired four rounds, while the officers fired seven. Three police bullets struck him in the legs, including the knees.
Murder motive remains under investigation
As Imran remains hospitalised, investigators have not yet been able to question him about the alleged source of the weapon or establish the precise motive behind Muskan’s murder. Muskan’s family had told police that she had allegedly been harassed by Imran for a considerable period.
Investigators are also examining whether jealousy played a role. According to police, Imran suspected that Muskan was speaking to another man and allegedly objected to the relationship.
Police are also scrutinising Imran’s Instagram account, which contains posts related to his gym workouts and cricket activities.
Investigators have also come across a video uploaded from his account in 2019 showing several men sitting inside a room while music plays. In the video, one of the men is seen smoking before allegedly pulling out a pistol and firing three rounds into the air.
With Imran still in hospital, police are continuing to piece together his movements before and after the murder, his relationship with Muskan and the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
