New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS): Sahil Gehlot, who allegedly strangled 23-year-old Nikki Yadav at Kashmiri Gate on February 10, has told the investigators that the two had married in 2020, a Delhi Police Crime Branch official said here on Saturday.

Police have also arrested Sahil's father, his two cousins Ashish and Naveen (Constable in Delhi Police) and two friends Amar and Lokesh for hatching a conspiracy to get rid of Nikki and go ahead with the wedding with another girl.

According to a senior police official, the prime accused Sahil Gahlot was interrogated at length during police custody and disclosed that Nikki was dissuading him from marrying someone else as they had already solemnised their marriage in 2020.

"She was pleading with him not to go ahead with the marriage fixed by his family with another girl on February 10. However, Sahil along with his father, two cousins and two friends hatched the conspiracy and planned to remove the deceased from their way," said the official.

"Sahil executed the plan and murdered her and informed the other co-accused persons about it on the same day and then all of them went ahead with the marriage ceremony," said the official.

"All the five co-accused were thoroughly interrogated and arrested after verifying and ascertaining their role," the official added.

According to the official, on February 9 night, the accused Sahil, a resident of Mitraon village, went to meet the woman at her Uttam Nagar residence where she lived with her younger sister.

"Sahil stayed there for two-three hours and later both of them went to Nizammudin railway station. But as they could not get tickets to Goa, they decided to go to Himachal Pradesh instead and reached ISBT, Kashmere Gate," said the official.

When the duo reached ISBT, an argument broke out between them. He then strangled Nikki with his mobile phone data cable inside the car, probably around 8 a.m on February 10, drove to his dhaba to hide her body, and then proceeded with his wedding on February 10.