At Swaroop Nagar, a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped and killed by four teenagers, including three minors, police said. The Delhi Police have arrested the teens and launched a complete probe. Police say the girl was stabbed multiple times and left in a field and buried under leaves and mud in a bid to destroy evidence.
The crime came to light on September 13 when people saw dogs and other animals attacking the body in an open field near Kushak Road. Police officers rushed to the scene and found the body of the victim.
The corpse was decomposing so much that identification was difficult, investigators said. The victim had sustained multiple stab wounds, the police said. The body was very deteriorated, and it was apparent that the crime and the identity of the victim had been hidden.
The suspects include a 19-year-old man identified as Shivam Ganesh alias Sudama and three juveniles aged between 16 and 17 years. Police believe the victim knew one of the 17-year-old accused and had been in contact with him just before the incident, investigators said. During the course of the investigation, police found two knives believed to have been used in the offence, bloodstained clothes, and a tempo vehicle believed to have transported the victim.
Police say the victim was sexually assaulted after meeting the accused teen. The girl threatened to report the attack, and the accused contacted his friends, and that group overpowered her, investigators say. At the time of the crime, the accused was heavily intoxicated, officials say. The victim was then taken to a nearby field where she was stabbed multiple times. Still, investigators are trying to find out if the assault occurred inside the tempo vehicle or at the site where the body was eventually found.
The breakthrough was the result of a big investigation, both technologically and at ground level. Police watched footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras installed all over the vicinity. The tempo vehicle seen moving suspiciously near the crime scene was an important source of information.
The investigators were initially unable to find the vehicle’s registration number but were able to trace it through CCTV mapping, route analysis, and local inquiries. A night-long operation finally got officers to Khadda Colony, where the suspects were identified and detained for questioning.
Delhi Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of rape, murder, destruction of evidence, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Forensic reports, digital evidence, and witness accounts are being carefully examined to ensure the sequence of events is established, and the individual role of each accused is determined.
The investigation is ongoing, and all legal processes are being followed to ensure accountability. The tragic case is once again a reminder of the need for stronger safety measures and quick justice in crimes that affect minors and vulnerable victims.
