Krishnagar murder: Prime accused identified, cops probe virtual gaming link
The Statesman | 5 September 2025Brought under tight security to the facility around 2 p.m, Ishita’s mother Kusum Mallick and her younger son pointed out Deshraj without hesitation before a magistrate. Kusum said: “After seeing him, I cannot forget how he killed my innocent daughter.” Ishita’s father, Dulal, who was also present, expressed faith in the judicial process: “I trusted the police, now I trust the judiciary. I want him to get capital punishment.”
The TI parade came just 48 hours after Singh’s dramatic arrest near the Indo-Nepal border. The 24-year-old fugitive was tracked down on Sunday evening at Nautanwa-Beria Bazar in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district, barely a few kilometres from the international checkpost. Police officials admitted that a delay of “a few hours” might have enabled him to slip into Nepal. His mobile phone and multiple SIM cards have been seized for forensic analysis.
Superintendent of Police Amarnath K, briefing reporters at Kotwali police station on Monday, said Singh’s act of violence stemmed from personal frustration. “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,” he said.
According to DSP Shilpi Paul, both the accused and the victim were “heavily addicted” to online shooting games. “The victim most of the time used to escape into the virtual field,” Paul observed, adding that a recent case in Krishnagar also involved a young woman immersed in similar gaming worlds. “The new generation is mostly engrossed in virtual realities. When they fail to negotiate with reality, such crimes or even suicides take place,” she warned.
The police’s psycho-mental analysis suggests that the crime reflected a troubling overlap between online obsession and real-world violence. “Belonging to the virtual world was probably part of the game itself in this case,” DSP Paul remarked.
