Uzbek Ballet Dancer Murdered in Samalkha, One man arrested

Investigations revealed Shukurova, who was also known as Shahnaz, was allegedly murdered by Gurvinder alias Gagan and her roommate Naaz, who is also from Uzbekistan, said a police officer. The partially-burnt body of the woman, who had gone missing from Delhi on September 24, was found in Samalkha police station area in Panipat the following day. Gagan was arrested Sunday and a hunt is on to nab Naaz, who is on the run, added the officer.

The police had a tip-off that Naaz went to Haryana after the murder of her associate and Gagan has so far claimed to have no idea about Naaz's whereabouts.

He allegedly misled the police for weeks after he was questioned for the first time, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Southeast range) R S Krishnia.

At the same time, the victim's mother alleged that Naaz, Gagan and the driver, on whose complaint the police registered an abduction case nearly two weeks after the woman was reported missing, are key members of a human trafficking racket who were forcing her daughter into the business. "She also lodged a complaint", said the officer. "On September 24, Mishra picked up Shahnaz from Paharganj area and dropped her in South Extension, where she got into Gagan's auto". Gagan, a resident of Kailash Hills in East of Kailash, kept misleading the police, while pretending to be cooperating, said the officer. A broken wine bottle was seized from the spot and there were impressions of tyres at the site, indicating that the body was brought in a auto and dumped there, sources said. The conclusion can be derived only after Naaz is interrogated, said a senior official.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has informed its counterparts in Haryana about the abduction case registered at Kotla Mubarakpur police station in south Delhi in connection with the same matter and the relevant sections shall be added in the existing FIR registered there, said the official.

Samalkha DSP Gorakhpal Singh Rana said, "We were supporting Delhi Police in investigation of this case". "We will be conducting a DNA test on the body recovered", Mr. Krishnayia said. The report of the DNA sampling can be used as a scientific evidence, apart from Gagan's recorded confession, to make the case concrete in the court, said the official.

However, these claims were not conformed by the police.