Noida: A 19-year-old girl from Assam was allegedly brutally murdered at a paying guest accommodation.The blood-soaked body of Mahak Ahmed from Dibrugarh was found inside a room — occupied by a man who has been absconding — in Baraula village on Monday night.Police said there were multiple injury marks on her body, including wounds that appeared to have been caused by a sharp-edged weapon. Police suspect the woman may have been attacked following an argument over drinking.A murder case has been registered against Raman, a native of Katihar in Bihar, following a complaint lodged by their landlord Sarthak Bansal. Police said two teams have been formed to trace the suspect.Officials said the motive has not yet been established. Teams have been sent to Bihar and other possible locations, while his relatives, acquaintances and former workplace are also being contacted.Mahak had completed Class 12 and had come to Noida around three weeks ago without informing her parents. She was staying at a PG near Bansal temple with her 18-year-old friend, Sanjana, who is also from Assam.According to police, both women lived on the first floor of a three-storey building. Raman also occupied a room on the same floor. Police said Raman is a BTech graduate and had previously worked with an IT company. Some residents, however, told police that he had been unemployed for the past few days. His employment history and activities in the days preceding the incident are being verified.Preliminary investigation has revealed that on the night of Aug 8, Mahak and Sanjana were walking in the corridor outside their room when they allegedly had an argument with Raman, who was sitting outside his room and drinking alcohol. Police are trying to ascertain the reason for the altercation and what happened after it.On Aug 9, Sanjana left the accommodation for some work while Mahak remained behind. When Sanjana returned, she could not find her friend. Attempts to contact Mahak failed as her mobile phone was switched off. Despite searches by other residents, there was no trace of her.Later, residents began noticing a foul smell coming from Raman’s locked room. Raman was not present at the premises. The residents informed the landlord, following which the police were alerted.Around noon on Aug 10, a call was made to the police control room through Dial-112. Police reached the premises and opened the locked room and found Mahak’s body.The body was sent for an autopsy, while a forensic team inspected the room and collected evidence. Police have also taken Mahak’s mobile phone into custody and are examining her call records, chats and other digital activity to identify possible leads.Investigators are examining several angles, including when Mahak may have entered Raman’s room, what transpired between the two before the killing, how long the accused remained at the premises after the incident and the route he may have taken to escape.Mahak’s family travelled from Assam to Noida after being informed about the incident and completed the identification formalities. They have sought a fair investigation and the early arrest of the accused.The Aug 8 argument between Mahak and Raman is being treated as an important lead, but investigators are also probing whether another motive was involved.
