Ankit Saxena Case: How an Inter-faith Relationship Ended in Brutal Murder of 23-yr-old Photographer

A Delhi court on Monday convicted three people for murdering 23-year-old Ankit Saxena in broad daylight on February 1, 2018, as a result of a hate crime. A photographer by profession, Saxena was in an inter-faith relationship with his girlfriend Shehzadi, whose family members slit his throat in full public view near his house at Raghubir Nagar in West Delhi on that fateful day six years ago.

Ankit Saxena and Shehzadi’s Cross-faith Relationship That Resulted in His Brutal Murder

Ankit Saxena and his girlfriend, 19-year-old Shehzadi were in a relationship which her family opposed. She had told her family that she had stopped meeting Ankit. According to a police officer, on February 1, 2018, Shehzadi’s juvenile brother had seen messages on her mobile phone and realised she had been lying when she claimed she had stopped meeting him a year ago.

Upon being confronted by the family with the message, Shehzadi left the house in a jiffy, closing the main door from outside. Upon realising she was gone, the family raised an alarm and managed to get the door open with the help of their neighbours.

What Happened on February 1, 2018?

Suspecting that she went to Ankit’s house to elope, her parents Akbar Ali and Shehnaj Begum, her uncle Mohammad and her minor brother set off to find them carrying a butcher’s knife. The group found Ankit near his home and an argument ensued. He refused to tell them Shehzadi’s whereabouts, who was at Tagore Garden Metro station at the time.

The argument then turned violent and resulted in Ankit’s throat being slit in broad daylight. He lay bleeding on the road for about 15 minutes and his mother and father begged people to arrange a vehicle to take him to the hospital but no one came forward.

Police arrived at the scene and took Ankit to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Shehzadi’s Family Convicted of Ankit Saxena’s Murder Six Years Later

Shehzadi’s father, Akbar Ali,  uncle Mohd. Salim and her mother Shahnaj Begum were convicted of Ankit Saxena’s murder. “All the accused persons viz. accused A-1 Mohd. Salim, accused A-2 Akbar Ali and accused A-3 Shahnaj Begum stand convicted for the charge of the offence punishable under Section 302 (murder)and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) IPC,” the court stated.

The court has listed the matter for hearing the arguments on sentence of the convicted on January 15.