NEW DELHI: A 15-year-old girl, who was stabbed in northeast Delhi’s Seemapuri on Friday, succumbed to injuries at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital on Saturday morning. The accused, a 24-year-old man, died shortly after the incident in a gas cylinder explosion at his residence nearby on Friday evening. The girl was declared dead at the hospital around 6 am. Outside her house, family members recalled her stepping out to buy medicines from a nearby shop when she was attacked. Her grandmother wailed inconsolably, repeating: “Bas 5 min keh kar gayi thi, abhi tak lauti nahi (she left saying she would be back in five minutes; she has not yet returned).”Her uncle further told TOI that she was bleeding for over 20 minutes before help arrived. “The rage and brutality with which she was stabbed is unbelievable. She was stabbed over a dozen times,” he said. The teenager recently appeared for her Class X board exams and was waiting for her results.“We were all awaiting her results. We were so hopeful for her future,” he said, adding that residents now feared for their safety after the murder. Friends and family remembered her as someone who was loved for her kindness. Her aunt said, “We don’t know why anyone would have wanted to hurt her. We have not been informed of any clear motive yet.” The girl is survived by her grandmother, mother, father and her younger sister. At the man’s residence about 2 km away, relatives claimed he triggered the explosion himself to die by suicide. They described him as an introvert. The man worked as a delivery executive for an e-commerce company. His mother said, “He never mentioned anything about a girl or having mental health issues, including depression or anger. He mostly kept to himself.”

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The man is believed to have been alone at home when the explosion happened. His mother was at work. His father died 11 months ago.Relatives expressed disbelief at the turn of events. His aunt said, “Had he been alive but gone to jail, he would still have been alive for his mother. She has no one else.” While both families denied knowing each other, a senior police officer said, “The two knew each other and were acquaintances. Both the families were aware.” However, the exact motive is under investigation. The two reportedly had a telephone conversation before the incident.Another officer said, “They knew each other from when the man’s aunt was a neighbour near the girl’s house two years back.” He confirmed that the man is believed to have triggered the explosion himself. While the girl’s uncle alleged that more men, reportedly intoxicated, were involved in stabbing her multiple times, the officer denied the claim, stating that only one person was visible in the CCTV footage at the spot.