Two years into his marriage, Ankit Verma's life had turned sour. Constant taunts about his thin physique, particularly his skinny legs, and domestic friction appear to have fueled a deep-seated insecurity in the Khoda resident. This bitterness gradually evolved into a general animosity toward women, eventually spilling onto the streets of Noida. Riding a blue scooter, Verma stabbed six women with scissors over a span of three days.
Random Attacks on Women
This was not a case of personal vendetta. Police said Verma (26), a BCom graduate from Delhi University who worked as an accountant at a private firm in Noida Sector 62 since 2022, did not know any of his victims. He allegedly selected them at random, often when they were returning home from work in the evening.
"The pattern was simple. He approached the women from behind on a scooter, struck below the waist with a sharp object, and fled before the victim could react," an officer said.
Timeline of Attacks
The first known attack occurred on May 19. Soni, a Khoda resident employed with a private company, was walking home around 9 PM near Thapar Gate when she felt a painful prick in her waist. "She did not come forward then, though locals informed us. At first, we could not trace her and thought it might be a personal dispute," the officer said.
The next day, another woman, Rinki, a domestic worker, reached the Sector 56 police chowki and reported that a man on a scooter had attacked her from behind on the Sector 55-56 road. She also left without filing a formal complaint. By then, police had begun to suspect a serial offender.
The attacks escalated on May 20 and 21. Guddi, another domestic worker, was attacked near Vanasthali Public School around 8:30 PM on May 20. About 10 minutes later, Radha, who worked at a computer repair shop, was attacked near Thapar Gate.
Formal Complaints Filed
On May 21, two women filed formal complaints within minutes of each other. Anshi Kumar (25), who lives in a PG in Sector 56, told police she was returning from office around 6:30 PM when a man riding a blue scooter and wearing a white half T-shirt struck her from behind near DAV School. "I realized I was bleeding and somehow reached the police station. The cops then took me to hospital," she said.
Soon after, Asha Bhandari (25), a resident of Sector 22, reported a similar attack between 6:15 PM and 6:30 PM while returning home from work. In both FIRs, police invoked Section 118 of the BNS for voluntarily causing hurt.
Arrest and Confession
Amit Tomar, SHO of Sector 58 police station, said CCTV footage led them to the accused. "We scanned more than 100 clips and identified the scooter. On Saturday, we arrested Ankit Verma from Sector 55. A pair of scissors was recovered from him," he added. Verma, according to police, had multiple layers of clothing under his jeans when caught. He allegedly told them he did so because he had skinny legs and needed the extra layering to hold his jeans in place.
This matched what Verma told the cops later: that behind the series of attacks was a man consumed by body-image insecurity and domestic strain. "When questioned, he said he did not know any of the victims. He claimed it was pure hatred that was building up inside him against women because of what he has gone through in the past," the officer said.
Family members told police Verma was usually quiet and withdrawn, though arguments at home were not uncommon.
Further Investigation
After his arrest, four more women came forward and their statements were recorded. Noida cops said they are also in touch with their counterparts in Delhi after learning he may have carried out similar attacks there. Verma was remanded in judicial custody and will be counselled.
