A security guard at the hostel, Basant, said, “The two were upset about something. After spending some time in the park, they went inside. I suddenly heard screams and before I could react, I saw the man fleeing from the hostel. I rushed to the woman’s room and found her lying on the ground, after which the police were called in.”

The police said Sharma was preparing for CAT after completing BSc from CCS University, Meerut. Kavita was studying the Company Secretary course in Delhi and was staying in the hostel for the past six months.

The police said Kavita and Sharma knew each other since their school days. Both their families stay in Uttar Pradesh, the police said. Kavita’s parents, however, said they did not know him.

Suresh Chauhan, Kavita’s father, said, “We are clueless about how this happened. We had never heard of anyone called Kapil.”

A girl residing at the hostel, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Kavita was very reserved and never spoke to anyone. We were all very scared after the incident, which also shows how lax the security at the hostel is.” She added that three girls have already left the hostel.

The hostel houses around 50 girls.