Fact Check: Accused Sahil in Delhi Nikki Yadav murder given a false communal spin

A 25-year-old Haryana woman Nikki Yadav, who was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend Sahil Gehlot with a charging cable. The accused, Sahil Gehlot, has revealed that he drove around with his lover Nikki Yadav for hours on the night of February 9.

Some users have claimed that the murder was a case of Love Jihad, a conspiracy theory popularised by the Indian right-wing, which refers to the alleged conversion of Hindu girls by Muslims in the guise of love.

The murder bears similarities to the murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in partner, Aaftab Poonawala who chopped her body into several places and stored in the refrigerator for days before disposing it off in various places. 

The viral posts claim that the accused in a Mohammed Sahil and the case is one of Love Jihad. Love Jihad refers to an alleged conspiracy by Muslim men to lure women into converting to Islam on the pretext of love or marriage.

There is no communal angle in the case. The girl's body was recovered from the Najafgarh area of ​​Delhi. According to the police, the accused in the case is Sahil Gehlot (24) and the name of the deceased is Nikki Yadav (23). They both belong to the same community.