Delhi horror: 16-year-old goes to meet 'friend', is gang-raped and stabbed to death

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four teenagers after she went to meet a 17-year-old boy she knew in outer Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar, police said. Her body was later found dumped in a field in a badly decomposed and mutilated condition.

Police have taken all four accused into custody. They include a 19-year-old man, Shivam Ganesh, and three minors aged 17 and 16.

Girl went to meet accused she knew

Investigators said the 17-year-old accused was known to the victim and appeared to be her “friend”. The girl had gone to meet him on Friday night, after which the teenager allegedly raped her, police said.

According to investigators, she threatened to report the assault to authorities. The boy then allegedly called three of his friends, who overpowered the girl and raped her. Police said the accused were under the influence of alcohol at the time.

“From what we have learned so far, the minor had gone to meet the 17-year-old on Friday night. He was the first to rape her, after which she threatened to report the crime to authorities. He then called his friends who overpowered her and raped her. They were all under the influence of alcohol.”

Police suspect the girl was then taken to a field, where she was stabbed multiple times before her body was allegedly concealed under leaves and mud.

Body found after animals attacked it

Police received information on Sunday morning about a body lying near Kushak Road in Swaroop Nagar. Locals had spotted dogs and other animals attacking the body.

The girl’s right hand was missing and her face and abdomen had been disfigured by decomposition. Her identity could not initially be established.

“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,” said the first investigating officer.

The post-mortem examination found multiple stab wounds. Police subsequently registered a case of murder, rape and causing disappearance of evidence.

CCTV trail helped police trace accused

Investigators scanned more than 50 CCTV cameras around the area and noticed a tempo moving near the field around the suspected time of the crime. Although its registration number was unclear, local enquiries helped police trace the vehicle.

The driver told investigators that his 17-year-old younger brother frequently used the tempo. CCTV footage showed four boys inside the vehicle.

Police later traced the tempo to Khadda Colony in Swaroop Nagar during a night-long search operation and apprehended the four accused.

“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 added.

Police said the victim was a school dropout who had moved to Swaroop Nagar a few years ago. She was looking for work to support her parents and was living separately from them. Her parents were unaware that she had gone out and was missing for two days, so no missing-person complaint was filed.

Police said two knives allegedly used in the crime and the clothes worn by the accused were recovered. Further investigation is underway to establish the individual roles of the accused and verify forensic and technical evidence.