New Delhi:
On the morning of September 13, Delhi Police was informed by residents of Swaroop Nagar in Northwest District that dogs were gorging on a body in a field nearby.
When police reached the spot, they were horrified to see a heavily decomposed body with one hand severed and eaten in parts by stray dogs.
The body was so decomposed and mutilated that police could not even ascertain its gender.
Investigators said the victim’s face was totally mutilated and there were multiple stab wounds on her body. A medical examination later confirmed rape, police said.
Forensic team at the spot
Body Eaten By Dogs, Hand Severed
Some parts of the body had also been eaten by stray dogs, and one hand was found separated from the body, police added.
It later turned out that the body was of a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped and stabbed to death. The body was then dumped in a field on the Kushak Road. Police suspect the crime may have happened two days earlier, on Friday, September 11.
Read | Teen Gang-Raped, Killed By 4, Including 3 Minors In Delhi, Body Eaten By Dogs
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.
The girl, police said, knew the four accused, including three minors, and had travelled with them in a tempo on the day of the crime.
All the accused are now in police custody. They are reportedly aged 16 to 19. A case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act.
How Police Caught The Accused
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.
Police at the spot
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.
A night-long search operation was conducted during the intervening night of September 15 and 16, and the suspected tempo was traced. 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.
