A 25-year-old AI engineer allegedly stabbed his colleague and girlfriend to death inside his paying guest (PG) accommodation in Gurugram before dying by suicide after jumping in front of a moving train, police said on Sunday. Investigators are examining the couple’s relationship, digital communications and forensic evidence to determine what led to the tragic incident.
The deceased were identified as Shreshth Malik, a resident of Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, and Ishara Ayubi, from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. Both worked as AI engineers at Optum in Gurugram. Malik was a Computer Science graduate from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur, while Ayubi completed her engineering degree from Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. Before joining Optum, Ayubi had interned with Samsung Research and was associated with the Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) at her university.
According to police, Malik had been staying at a PG accommodation in Sector 55, where the alleged murder took place. The case came to light after Ayubi’s family approached the Sector-56 police station on Saturday when repeated attempts to contact her failed. Acting on the complaint, officers traced her mobile phone’s last location to Malik’s PG. After questioning neighbours, who reported hearing nothing unusual, police forced open the room.
Inside, officers discovered Ayubi’s body lying in a pool of blood with blood splattered across the room. Preliminary findings indicated that she had been stabbed to death. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team examined the crime scene and collected evidence.
During the investigation, Gurugram Police learned that the Government Railway Police (GRP) had already recovered the body of a man from the railway tracks near Garhi railway station. The victim had died after being struck by a train. Police later identified him as Malik through the mobile phone recovered from the scene, linking the railway death with the murder investigation. Authorities suspect he died by suicide after the alleged killing.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Ayubi had moved into Malik’s PG accommodation just three days before the incident. Police are probing whether the two were in a relationship and what circumstances may have triggered the alleged crime.
“We are investigating every aspect of the case. The nature of the relationship between the two individuals and the reasons behind the incident will only be revealed once the investigation is complete,” Sector-56 Station House Officer Inspector Manoj Kumar said. He added that investigators are examining the couple’s mobile phones, call detail records, chats and other digital evidence. An FIR for murder has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
Police have sent both bodies for post-mortem examination and informed the families. Officials have urged the public not to speculate on the motive until the investigation is complete.
