New Delhi
oi-Madhuri Adnal
A 16 year old girl was allegedly gang raped and murdered by four teenagers, including three minors, in outer Delhi, police said on Thursday. Her body was later dumped in a field in Swaroop Nagar.
All four accused are now in custody. Police have arrested 19 year old Shivam Ganesh, while the three minors, aged 17 and 16, have been apprehended.
Outer Delhi police arrested four teenagers, including three minors and 19-year-old Shivam Ganesh, for the alleged gang rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl whose body was found in Swaroop Nagar field. She was reportedly killed after being sexually assaulted on Friday night.
Police said the girl had gone to meet a 17 year old boy she knew. Investigators believe she considered him a friend. The other three accused were also friends of the boy, police said.
The girl’s body was found on Sunday morning in a field near Kushak Road. Local residents alerted police after noticing dogs and other animals attacking the body.
Body found in a mutilated condition
By the time police reached the spot, the body was badly decomposed. The girl’s right hand was missing and her face and abdomen had been badly damaged, making it difficult for investigators to identify her.
A post mortem later confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted. Doctors also found multiple injuries on her body, including eight wounds. Police said she had suffered several stab injuries.
Investigators believe the girl was killed before her body was left in the field, where it was subsequently attacked by animals.
Police registered a case of murder, rape and causing disappearance of evidence after speaking to the family and examining the post mortem findings.
More than 50 CCTV cameras scanned
With the identity of the girl initially unknown, police began working backwards from the location where her body was found.
Investigators checked footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras in the area, hoping to find out who had brought the body to the field.
One of the cameras showed a tempo moving near the spot around the suspected time of the crime. The vehicle’s registration number was not clear, but enquiries in the neighbourhood helped police trace it.
The tempo driver was questioned and told police that his 17 year old younger brother often used the vehicle.
Investigators then found footage showing four boys inside the tempo. Police said the boys had left their homes after the incident.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Shobhit Saksena said investigators followed the tempo’s movements across different CCTV cameras and used information gathered locally to piece together its route.
A search operation was carried out through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Police eventually traced the tempo to Khadda Colony in Swaroop Nagar.
Further investigation led to the four accused being taken into custody.
Police allege girl was assaulted before being killed
According to investigators, the girl had gone to meet the 17 year old accused on Friday night.
Police allege that he sexually assaulted her first. When she threatened to report the incident, he allegedly called his friends, who then joined him and assaulted her.
Investigators said the accused were under the influence of alcohol.
Police allege that the teenagers later took the girl to a field and stabbed her several times. They then tried to cover her body with leaves and mud before leaving the spot in the tempo.
Investigators are still trying to establish exactly where the sexual assault took place and are examining whether it happened inside the tempo or at the field.
Police have recovered two knives allegedly used in the crime, along with the clothes worn by the accused. The material has been preserved for forensic examination.
No missing complaint was filed
Police said the girl had dropped out of school and had moved to Swaroop Nagar a few years ago. She was looking for work and wanted to support her parents. She was living separately from them.
Her parents did not know that she had gone out on Friday night. They were also unaware that she had been missing for two days. Because of this, no missing person complaint was filed.
Police later identified her with the help of local residents who knew her.
The investigation is continuing. Police are trying to establish the exact sequence of events, determine the role of each accused and verify the forensic and CCTV evidence. They are also checking whether anyone else was involved in the crime.
