17-Year-Old Delhi Girl Raped, Murdered; Dogs Ate Body Parts, 4 Held
Body Found In Swaroop Nagar Field; Three Juveniles Among Four Accused
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and stabbed to death before her body was dumped in an open field in northwest Delhi, where some parts were later eaten by stray dogs, police said on Thursday.
Four people, including three juveniles aged 16 and 17, have been apprehended in connection with the case. The adult accused has been identified as Shivam alias Sudama alias Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony, police said.
The girl's decomposed body was found near Jaipal Rana's field on Kushak Road in Swaroop Nagar on September 13. The body was so badly decomposed that its gender could not be immediately ascertained, police said. One of her hands was also found separated from the body.
According to police, the girl and the accused knew each other. They allegedly consumed alcohol inside a tempo before the girl was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. Her body was then allegedly dumped in the field.
The girl had not been reported missing by her family, who told police that she would often leave home and return after a few days.
With no apparent eyewitness and the identity of the perpetrators initially unknown, police analysed footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras covering the area and adjoining routes.
Investigators noticed a tempo moving near the scene around the relevant time. Its registration number could not be clearly identified because of darkness and poor visibility. Police subsequently tracked its movement through multiple CCTV cameras.
A search operation conducted during the intervening night of September 15 and 16 led investigators to the tempo, which was found parked in Khadda Colony. Its driver was detained and questioned, following which police apprehended the other three suspects.
Police recovered two knives allegedly used in the crime, clothes allegedly worn by the accused and the tempo.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police said further investigation was underway to establish the sequence of events, ascertain the individual roles of those apprehended and examine forensic and technical evidence.
