Delhi Teen Goes To Meet ‘Friend’, Gang-Raped And Stabbed Over 6 Times; Body Found In Field

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four teenagers, including three minors, who later dumped her body in a field in Delhi’s outer Swaroop Nagar area, police said on Thursday.

All four accused are in custody. Police arrested 19-year-old Shivam Ganesh, while three minors, aged 17 and 16, were apprehended.

Investigators said one of the accused, a 17-year-old boy, appeared to be the victim’s friend and that she had gone to meet him. The other three accused were friends of the teenager, police said.

Two investigators familiar with the case told HT that the crime is believed to have taken place on Friday.

The girl’s body was discovered in a severely decomposed and mutilated condition on Sunday morning after local residents noticed dogs and other animals attacking it.

Body Found With Multiple Injuries

Police received information about a body lying in a field near Kushak Road in Swaroop Nagar on Sunday morning. The victim’s right hand was missing, while her face and abdomen had been disfigured.

“Though it had been only two days, the body was decomposing very fast – likely due to how exposed it was to the elements. The face was not recognisable. The medical report confirmed rape and we found eight wounds on her body… It appears that she was murdered and dumped in the area where animals attacked the body,” the first investigating officer said.

Police initially struggled to establish the girl’s identity. Investigation teams were then tasked with identifying her and locating her family.

Based on the family’s statement and post-mortem findings, police registered a case of murder, rape and causing disappearance of evidence. Investigators said the victim had suffered multiple stab wounds.

A team led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Lokeshwaran R and ACP Ravinder Ahlawat began probing the circumstances surrounding the dumping of the body. Police said no local resident reported seeing the girl in the area on Saturday night or Sunday.

CCTV Footage Leads Police To Accused

Investigators scanned footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras in the area to trace movements around the field. During the investigation, they spotted a tempo near the location around the suspected time of the crime.

Although the vehicle’s registration number was not clearly visible, local enquiries helped police identify the tempo. Its driver was questioned and told investigators that his 17-year-old younger brother frequently used the vehicle.

“The footage also revealed the presence of four young boys inside the tempo. The boys were soon identified but had fled from their homes,” an investigator said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Shobhit Saksena said police tracked the tempo through multiple CCTV cameras and combined the footage with local enquiries to reconstruct the route taken by the accused.

“On the basis of the developed leads, a night-long search operation was conducted during the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday. The tempo was traced in Khadda Colony, Swaroop Nagar. Its driver was identified and questioned. Further investigation led to the apprehension of four persons,” Saksena said.

Police Probe Alleged Sexual Assault And Murder

The accused were identified as Shivam Ganesh, 19, and three minors aged 17 and 16, police said. Investigators recovered two knives allegedly used in the crime, along with clothes the accused were wearing.

Two police officers told HT that at least three of the accused had confessed to raping the victim.

According to a second investigator, the 17-year-old accused had gone to meet the girl on Friday night and allegedly assaulted her first. The investigator said the girl then threatened to report the incident, following which the teenager called his friends, who allegedly overpowered and assaulted her. Police said the accused were under the influence of alcohol.

“After the rape, they took her to a field and stabbed her more than six times. They tried to hide the body under leaves and mud. They later fled in the tempo. We are investigating whether the rape took place inside the vehicle or at the field,” the officer said.

Girl Was Looking For Work

Police said the girl was a school dropout who had moved to Swaroop Nagar several years ago. She was reportedly looking for work to support her parents and had been living separately from them.

No missing-person complaint had been filed because her parents were unaware that she had left home and had been missing for two days, police said.

Investigators eventually identified her with help from local residents who had previously seen her in the area.

“Further investigation is in progress to establish the complete sequence of events, ascertain the individual role of each apprehended person, verify all available forensic and technical evidence, and examine the involvement of any other person in the offence. The recovered exhibits have been preserved for forensic examination and necessary legal action will be taken accordingly,” Saksena said.