A 17-year-old Dalit Hindu boy, Kunal, was brutally stabbed to death by Islamists on April 17 evening in full public view in Delhi’s Seelampur, in front of his father. The attackers, according to locals and the grieving family, were members of a violent Islamist gang operating in the area, allegedly led by a notorious woman named Zikra, popularly known as the “Lady Don” of Seelampur.
The chilling incident took place in J-Block of New Seelampur at around 7:38 PM, when Kunal, who worked at a garment shop in Gandhi Nagar, stepped out to buy milk. He was only a few steps away from home when a group of four to five Islamist youths surrounded him and began stabbing him mercilessly. Despite immediate attempts by his father, Rajbir Singh, to save him, Kunal succumbed to his injuries soon after being rushed to JPC Hospital.
Rajbir, an auto-rickshaw driver, is inconsolable. “I watched them stab my boy. There were five of them. I couldn’t save him,” he said, trembling in shock.
The murder has triggered panic and anger among Seelampur’s Hindu residents. Dozens have already fled the locality, while many others have begun putting up posters reading “This House Is for Sale,” “Hindu Exodus in Progress,” “Yogi Ji, Help Us,” and “Bulldozer Action Needed in Seelampur.” These signs plastered across homes have become a haunting reminder of the communal divide and fear that has festered in this corner of the national capital.
#SHOCKER! | Delhi: 17-year-old Dalit Hindu youth Kunal was allegedly stabbed to death by Islamists in Seelampur.
The accused include Muslim lady don Zikra and her gang members.
The victim’s family had been planning to sell their house and leave the area — but this tragedy… pic.twitter.com/GwZAyFUWVP
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) April 18, 2025
Residents staged a late-night protest following the incident, blocking roads and chanting slogans demanding swift justice. They accused local authorities of ignoring repeated warnings about gang activity and communal threats in the area. “There have been six murders in the last few years — all following the same pattern, all involving the same gang,” said a local shopkeeper. “Police arrest them, but they’re back on the streets in days. They are protected.”
Kunal’s family and several residents have pointed fingers at Zikra — a local Muslim woman with alleged criminal links. Known on social media for her videos and feared locally for her influence, Zikra is accused of controlling a gang that has terrorised residents for years.
Rajbir Singh claims Zikra had earlier threatened Kunal. “She used to hang around with these boys. She knew what they were planning. She had warned my son before. I begged my son to stay indoors, but never imagined this would happen.” While police have confirmed that Zikra was questioned in the matter, she was let go after no direct involvement could be immediately established. However, sources suggest she is still under the scanner.
This brutal act may have links to an old scuffle from November 2024, when a few Hindu boys from the Gihara community had a disagreement with a youth named Sohail. Although Kunal was not involved in that incident, his family believes he was deliberately targeted as a form of retribution.
Kunal’s mother, mourning the loss of her son, said, “He never had any fights, no enemies. They killed him because of who he was — a Hindu. We had already decided to leave this place and sell our house. But now my son is gone.”
The murder has laid bare the communal fault lines in Seelampur. Hindus allege systematic marginalisation and harassment at the hands of well-connected local gangs from another community. The incident has become a tipping point for many. “We no longer feel safe. What happened to Kunal can happen to any of our children,” said another local resident, as she packed her belongings to move out.
Protesters demanded action under what they referred to as the “Yogi Adityanath model” — a reference to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s tough stance against mafia elements and communal violence, often involving demolition drives of properties belonging to criminal suspects. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta responded swiftly, stating, “I have spoken to the Police Commissioner. The names of the accused have come to light. The police are doing their job. No stone will be left unturned.”
A Delhi Police spokesperson confirmed the registration of an FIR under murder charges and said special teams are working on arresting the accused. CCTV footage is being scrutinised, and officials are investigating whether the assailants were minors or adults. Security has been beefed up in Seelampur, with paramilitary forces deployed to prevent any escalation. Police have sealed off sections of the road and are urging calm while assuring citizens that justice will be served.
