17-year-old Delhi girl allegedly gang-raped, murdered; 3 juveniles among 4 held
Police say the girl was assaulted and stabbed inside a tempo before her body was dumped in Swaroop Nagar; CCTV footage helped trace the suspects
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by a group of four teenagers – three of them minors – who dumped her body in a field in outer Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the girl and the accused persons were known to each other. They allegedly drank together inside a tempo before the girl was sexually assaulted, stabbed to death and her body disposed of.
CCTV trail cracks case
Police said the girl’s decomposed body was found near Jaipal Rana's field on Kushak Road on September 13. Some parts of the body had also been eaten by stray dogs, and one of her hands was found separated from the body, police added. The body had decayed to such an extent that its gender could not be immediately ascertained.
The girl had not been reported missing by her family. Police said her family told them that she would often leave home and return after a few days.
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A case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act. As there was no apparent eyewitness and the identity of the perpetrators was initially unknown, police teams analysed more than 50 CCTV cameras covering the area and adjoining routes.
During the analysis, a tempo was noticed moving near the scene around the relevant time. Its registration number was not clearly visible due to darkness, following which investigators tracked its movement across multiple CCTV locations.
Four arrested for crime
A night-long search operation was conducted during the intervening night of September 15 and 16, and the suspected tempo was traced to Khadda Colony in Swaroop Nagar area. Its driver was identified and questioned.
The investigation subsequently led to the apprehension of four persons, including three juveniles, allegedly linked to the crime.
The adult accused has been identified as Shivam alias Sudama alias Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony, while the three juveniles are aged 16 and 17, police said. Two knives allegedly used in the crime, clothes allegedly worn by the accused and the tempo were recovered.
Further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events, ascertain the individual roles of those apprehended and verify the forensic and technical evidence, police said.
(With agency inputs)