NEW DELHI – Indian capital, widely referred as “rape capital” in news, witnessed another similar crime as a teenage girl was allegedly gang-raped and stabbed to death. Days later, her decomposed body was discovered hidden in a field, where stray dogs had mauled the remains. Police say a CCTV trail led them to four suspects, including three juveniles.
The shocking case of gang rape murder rocked Delhi, after decomposed body of a teenage girl was found dumped in an open field in Swaroop Nagar, days after she was allegedly sexually assaulted and stabbed to death.
Police apprehended four suspects, including three young boys, in connection with the case. The adult accused has been identified as 19-year-old Shivam alias Sudama alias Chuchu, while the other three suspects are aged 16 and 17, according to police. The case came to light on September 13, when police received information about a body lying in a field near Kushak Road and Jaipal Rana’s field in Swaroop Nagar.
Investigators said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Stray dogs had reportedly mauled parts of the remains, and one hand was found separated from the body. The condition was so severe that police initially struggled to establish the victim’s identity.
Police later identified the victim as a teenage girl from the Swaroop Nagar area. According to police, the victim knew at least some of the suspects. Investigators said she had gone to meet a teenage boy and that three other youths subsequently joined them.
The group allegedly travelled in a tempo, where they consumed alcohol. Police allege that the girl was subsequently sexually assaulted before being stabbed multiple times. Investigators believe the body was then taken to the isolated field and buried beneath leaves.
Police are continuing to reconstruct the precise sequence of events and determine the individual role allegedly played by each suspect. With no apparent eyewitnesses and the suspects initially unidentified, investigators began a painstaking review of CCTV footage from the surrounding area.
One woman raped every 16 minutes, while one gang-raped every 30 hours in India
More than 50 cameras were examined. Police eventually spotted a tempo moving near the area around the suspected time of the crime.
The vehicle’s registration number was initially difficult to read because of darkness. Investigators nevertheless mapped its movements across multiple CCTV cameras and eventually traced the tempo to Khadda Colony in Swaroop Nagar.
Police detained and questioned the tempo driver. Investigators said questioning and subsequent leads resulted in the apprehension of the four suspects. Police said they recovered two knives allegedly linked to the killing, clothing allegedly worn by the suspects and the tempo.
The recovered material is being examined as part of the forensic investigation, while police continue to establish exactly what happened before and after the alleged assault.
The girl’s family had not initially reported her missing. According to police, relatives told investigators that she would sometimes leave home without informing them and return after several days. The case added another disturbing dimension because three of the four suspects apprehended by police are juveniles.
Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Investigators are examining forensic and technical evidence and are also probing whether anyone else was involved.
The allegations against the suspects remain subject to the ongoing investigation and judicial process.
