The criminal history of Mohammad Imran alias Aqib, arrested in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Muskan Sharma in Delhi, has emerged as a key part of the ongoing investigation.
According to details shared by Delhi Police, Imran had previously been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2018 in connection with an incident involving the sexual harassment of a minor in Tilak Nagar.
The 2018 case included allegations under provisions relating to stalking, voluntarily causing hurt, outraging the modesty of a woman and common intention, in addition to the POCSO charges.
The disclosure has brought renewed scrutiny on Imran’s previous encounters with the law and the action taken in those cases. Police have indicated that the murder investigation is being examined against the backdrop of his earlier criminal record.
Named in culpable homicide case in 2021
Police records also show Imran’s involvement in a culpable homicide case registered in 2021.
The case relates to an assault in October 2020, when Imran is accused of attacking a man with a stone slab. According to the police account, the victim suffered serious head injuries and subsequently went into a coma.
The complainant alleged that Imran first struck the man on the head and then hit him on the nose with the same stone slab while he was lying on the ground. The injured man remained hospitalised for six days.
The case was subsequently registered in 2021 following a court order.
The emergence of details of the two earlier cases has become significant as investigators reconstruct Imran’s background following his arrest in the Muskan Sharma murder case.
Police examining Imran’s social media activity
Investigators are also examining Imran’s social media accounts, including his Instagram profile, to establish his activities and possible links to the crime.
His profile contains posts relating to gym workouts and cricket. Police are also examining a video uploaded from the account in 2019 that shows several men sitting inside a room while music plays. In the video, one of the men appears to pull out a pistol and fire three rounds into the air.
Investigators are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the video and whether it has any relevance to the current investigation.
Suspect attempted to erase digital evidence
Police suspect that Imran may have taken Muskan’s iPhone after the murder.
Investigators believe the phone could have contained chats, messages and other digital evidence that may help establish the sequence of events leading to the killing and the nature of the relationship between the two.
Police are also examining whether Imran had gone live on social media shortly before the murder and issued threats against Muskan.
According to reports, Muskan had stopped responding to Imran’s calls and had blocked him on social media. He continued trying to contact her using different phone numbers.
Investigators suspect that he may have contacted her on the day of the murder and that an argument followed after she allegedly refused to respond to him.
Imran changed locations after murder
After the killing, Imran moved between multiple locations, complicating the police operation to trace him.
Several police teams were deployed across west Delhi and neighbouring areas as investigators attempted to locate him.
Delhi Police ultimately traced him near the sub-registrar’s office in Rajouri Garden on Thursday evening. According to DCP (West) Vichitra Veer, officers noticed a suspicious person in the area and, upon checking, identified him as Imran.
Police said that when officers attempted to apprehend him, he opened fire at the police team.
A total of 11 rounds were fired during the encounter, according to police. Imran allegedly fired four rounds, while police personnel fired seven rounds in retaliation.
Three police bullets struck Imran in both legs, including around the knee. He was subsequently taken to hospital, where he remains under treatment.
Because of his hospitalisation, investigators have not yet been able to question him in detail about the alleged source of the weapon or the motive behind Muskan’s murder.
Muskan had faced months of stalking and harassment
The investigation has also highlighted allegations that Muskan had been facing repeated harassment before her death.
Police said her family had approached them in July and complained that Imran was stalking and harassing her near her residence. However, no formal complaint was filed at the time.
Imran was subsequently sent to a drug de-addiction centre, but the alleged harassment reportedly continued.
Muskan and Imran had known each other for approximately one-and-a-half to two years after meeting through a local gym. Police have said that the two were reportedly in a relationship.
Chats recovered from Muskan’s phone are also being examined. According to police, the conversations indicate frequent arguments, harassment and Imran’s suspicion that Muskan was communicating with another man.
Muskan was killed inside her Old Mahavir Nagar home
The murder took place on August 26 when Muskan was alone at her home in Old Mahavir Nagar.
Police said Imran arrived at the residence at around 5.40 pm. An argument allegedly broke out between the two, following which he strangled Muskan and stabbed her three times in the chest and abdomen.
CCTV footage reportedly captured Imran entering the building and leaving approximately 25 minutes later. Investigators believe he left with Muskan’s phone.
A domestic help later found Muskan lying in a pool of blood. She was rushed to hospital with the assistance of others, but she could not be saved.
Muskan was a fashion content creator and model and was pursuing her graduation through Delhi University’s School of Open Learning.
The investigation is now focused on establishing the precise motive for the killing, tracing the weapon, recovering digital evidence and determining Imran’s movements before and after the crime. Police are also examining his previous criminal cases and alleged pattern of harassment as they build the case against him.
