Jhajjar (Haryana), Feb 21 (IANS): The sensational Nikki Yadav murder case has created a sense of anxiety and insecurity among parents in Haryana's Jhajjar district as their daughters are either pursuing higher studies or preparing for competitive exams at various places in Delhi.

Many parents have now become more concerned about their safety of their children.

Nikki Yadav, who hailed from Kheri Khummar village in Jhajjar, went to Delhi for higher studies. She was allegedly strangled to death by her boyfriend/husband Sahil Gehlot on the day he was going to marry another woman. Her body was found stuffed in a refrigerator at a dhaba near Mitraun village in Delhi on February 14.

"Over 2,000 girls from different villages of Jhajjar district are, at present, in Delhi to materialise their dreams. Majority of them reside in PGs there where security arrangements are nominal. Over 20 girls from Kheri Khummar village alone have gone to Delhi for higher studies or preparation for competitive exams as Delhi is the nearest city to Jhajjar, where facilities of quality education or coaching centres are available," said Dr H.S. Yadav, retired principal of a Government College.

A parent from Kheri Khummar village said the Nikki murder had shaken not only him but also other parents of the girls pursuing higher studies in Delhi. "Earlier, we talked to our daughter one or two times a day but the fearsome episode has now forced us to talk to her many more times and to guide her about daily activities," he added.

Virendra Yadav, chief of Yadav Mahasabha, said many parents had expressed their insecurity and fear before him when he went to Nikki's house in Kheri Khummar village to offer his condolences. Some of them were so worried about the security of their daughters that they were planning to shift them from other safer places, he added.

Harpal Dagar, a retired official from the Education Department, said besides Delhi, girls from Jhajjar district had also gone to Kota, Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Chandigarh for higher studies or preparing for competitive exams. "Majority of the parents prefer to send their daughters to Rajasthan or Chandigarh as these are much safer places than Delhi in terms of girls' security ," he added.

Jagmati Sangwan, a prominent woman activist in Haryana, demands the Centre as well as Delhi government to ensure safety of the daughters as girls in a large number from other states come to the national capital by making their career bright for pursuing higher studies or preparing for competitive exams.