In a disturbing incident that has come to light in north Delhi, a 19-year-old man has been arrested and three minors apprehended in connection with the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, police said on Thursday, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
The teenager was found dead on September 13 in a field in Swaroop Nagar, with her body allegedly concealed beneath leaves. Police said she had sustained around six to eight stab wounds.
Investigators have recovered two knives allegedly linked to the crime, along with clothes that the suspects are believed to have been wearing at the time of the incident.
The girl had reportedly dropped out of school and was living on her own while looking for employment to help financially support her family, police said.
Police said the teenager was acquainted with one of the suspects, a 17-year-old, and had gone to meet him on the evening of September 10. As per the preliminary findings, the suspect allegedly sexually assaulted her before calling his friends after she threatened to report the incident.
While outlining the initial findings of the investigation, a police officer quoted by HT said, “They were all under the influence of . We have already taken their . After they committed rape, they took her to a field and stabbed her more than six times early on September 11. They tried to hide the body under leaves and mud. They later fled in the tempo.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North district) Shobhit Saksena said investigators were continuing to piece together the incident. The probe will focus on determining the precise role of each person apprehended, examining forensic and technical evidence, reconstructing the sequence of events and checking whether anyone else was involved.
“The recovered exhibits have been preserved for forensic examination and necessary legal action will be taken accordingly,” Saksena noted.
Police mentioned a case has been registered for murder, rape and destruction of evidence based on the preliminary investigation and findings from the post-mortem examination.
A team led by Additional DCP (Outer North) Lokeshwaran R and ACP Ravinder Ahlawat questioned residents in the area and found that no local had reported seeing the girl on Saturday night or Sunday. Investigators examined footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras and noticed a tempo travelling close to the field around the suspected time of the crime.
The vehicle’s registration number could not be read clearly because of poor visibility at night. However, investigators eventually traced the tempo using CCTV mapping, police said.
The driver was subsequently brought in for questioning. During the investigation, he told police that his 17-year-old younger brother frequently used the vehicle.
“The footage also revealed the presence of four young boys inside the tempo. The boys were soon identified but had fled from their home,” said an investigator.
Saksena revealed investigators tracked the tempo’s movements across several cameras and combined the footage with information gathered during local inquiries to reconstruct the route allegedly taken by the suspects.
“On the basis of the developed leads, a night-long search operation was conducted during the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday. The tempo was traced in Khadda Colony, Swaroop Nagar. Its driver was identified and questioned. Further investigation led to the apprehension of four persons,” Saksena stated.
