Prime accused in Krishnagar student murder nabbed near Nepal border
The Statesman | 2 September 2025The arrest came at a critical juncture, officials admitted, as “a few hours of delay would have enabled him to slip across to Nepal.” Singh was found in possession of a mobile phone and SIM cards, which have been seized for forensic analysis.
Addressing a press conference at Kotwali police station on Monday morning, Krishnagar PD, superintendent of police Amarnath K said, “Six months ago, Deshraj had been spurned in a romantic relationship. The rejection became the motive behind this crime. We are pursuing every lead to uncover the full conspiracy.”
The killing had shocked Krishnagar last Monday when Singh stormed into Mallik’s home at Manikpara, barely 500 metres from a cluster of government offices, and fired three shots at her from close range. Ishita collapsed instantly. Singh fled immediately, sparking a state-wide manhunt that culminated in his dramatic arrest yesterday.
Police traced Singh’s movements after arresting his maternal uncle, Kuldeep Singh, from Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday night. Investigators said Kuldeep actively sheltered the fugitive and helped fabricate fake documents to enable him to change hideouts repeatedly. Preliminary inquiry suggests that Kuldeep’s daughter was also instrumental in forging the papers; she is now on the police radar.
Deshraj’s father, a serving Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, has also come under the scanner. He has been placed under virtual house arrest and is being interrogated for his possible role in aiding his son’s escape. Police believe he may hold vital information about the networks and individuals who assisted Deshraj during his escape. His mother and an associate named Nitin Pratap are also being probed.
On Monday, both Deshraj Singh and Kuldeep Singh were produced before the Krishnagar district judge’s court. Investigators are seeking to recover the murder weapon, believed to be a country-made pistol, and identify other accomplices who may have helped in logistics and cover. A reconstruction of the crime scene with Deshraj in custody has been planned.
A senior officer said: “We are piecing together a web of family complicity and criminal facilitation. The case goes beyond a crime of passion—it reveals how an entire network enabled the accused to remain on the run.”
The arrest has brought partial closure to Ishita Mallik’s bereaved family and rattled Krishnagar town, which is still reeling from the audacity of a killing committed in the heart of the administrative district. But for the police, the investigation has only begun.
