A teenage girl was allegedly raped and murdered before her body was abandoned in an open field in Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar area, where it was later found in a badly decomposed condition and partly eaten by stray dogs, police said.
Four people, including three juveniles, have been arrested in connection with the case.
The body was recovered on September 13 after police were alerted about human remains lying in the area. The condition of the remains initially made it difficult for investigators to determine the victim’s identity and gender.
According to police, the girl had gone out to meet a 17-year-old acquaintance. Investigators allege that she was subsequently sexually assaulted by the accused and stabbed multiple times before her body was taken to the open field and abandoned. A post-mortem examination confirmed sexual assault, police said.
The accused include a 19-year-old man and three juveniles aged 16 and 17. Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Tattoo helped identify the victim
The severely decomposed condition of the body initially led investigators to believe that the remains could have belonged to a man.
An officer quoted in reports said, “We couldn’t figure out whether it was a man or a woman; it appeared more to be of a middle-aged man.”
Investigators later noticed a tattoo featuring three stars on the victim’s left arm. Police reportedly found photographs of the girl showing a similar tattoo, which helped establish her identity.
Police said the girl’s family had not filed a missing-person complaint, as they believed she had gone out with friends and would return.
CCTV footage provided leads
Investigators examined footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras in and around the area. A tempo seen near the suspected crime scene emerged as an important lead, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Shobhit Saksena said, “On the basis of the developed leads, a night-long search operation was conducted.” The tempo was subsequently traced in Khadda Colony in Swaroop Nagar, according to police.
Questioning of the tempo driver allegedly helped investigators identify the other suspects. Police said two knives, the vehicle and other material evidence have been recovered.
The investigation is continuing, with police examining forensic evidence and attempting to establish the precise sequence of events and the alleged roles of each accused.
