Special staff of the South East District Police conduct an investigation at the encounter site after one of the accused in the alleged gang-rape near Kalkaji Temple was apprehended
NEW DELHI: A lawyer, his brother who is a final-year BSc Mathematics student and an onion wholesaler are the three men arrested in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl near Kalkaji Mandir, officials said on Tuesday. 7. Joint commissioner of police (southern range) Vijay Kumar said, “A PCR call was received at 8:45 pm on Monday regarding a 17-year-old girl from Faridabad who had come here with her 17-year-old male friend.
The accused knew each other as they lived and worked in the vicinity of the park and also, frequently met there, news agency PTI reported, according to the sources.
The alleged rape took place in an old, dilapidated stone structure inside the Aastha Kunj Park, where the three accused allegedly took turns assaulting the girl, police sources said. No complaint has been received in connection with any such incident so far and police are trying to ascertain whether there were any other victims, the sources said. She and her 17-year-old male friend had visited the Kalkaji Mandir for “darshan” and subsequently, entered the park through Gate No, according to the girl’s statement. Three men allegedly approached them, claiming to be policemen, and spoke to them using “police- and lawyer-like” language, telling them that they were minors, were doing something wrong and that a case could be registered against them, the officer said. They separated the girl from her friend and took her to the secluded area, police said, adding that the accused took turns to hold down the boy while the others assaulted the girl. The rape survivor’s male friend was also allegedly beaten up by the accused, following which the PCR call was made from his mobile phone, according to police. The two other accused also allegedly raped her, following which the three men threatened the girl and her friend, according to the complaint. During the investigation, police received specific information about Asif’s movements near the DM Office Road in Amar Colony, laid a trap and, following the exchange of fire, arrested him, the officials said. Asif allegedly fired three rounds at a police team led by Inspector Rajender Dagar when it tried to intercept him near the DM Office Road in Amar Colony in the early hours of Tuesday, the officials said. In self-defence, he fired two rounds, one of which hit Asif in his right leg, police said. The Joint CP said the park is open from many sides, while some portions of its boundary wall have also collapsed. “Some gates are not manned with guards, while some places are not sufficiently lit,” he added.
The three allegedly posed as policemen, threatened the girl and her male friend and took them to a secluded part of Astha Kunj Park. The three accused have been identified as Hemant, a lawyer, his brother Mukesh, a final-year BSc Mathematics student, and Asif, an onion wholesaler who lives in Amar Colony and used to work at the Okhla Mandi. The two brothers are natives of Faridabad in Haryana and reside in Delhi’s Sri Niwaspuri. Their parents are based in Faridabad. Their father, advocate JR Dhankar, practises law in the courts of Faridabad and Delhi. Police are also verifying information that the three men may have been involved in other similar incidents at the park. They first went to the temple to offer prayers and then to the Aastha Kunj Park, towards a somewhat secluded area. Asif allegedly threatened the girl with a firearm and a knife and raped her. An FIR was registered at the Amar Colony police station under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Several teams were formed to trace the accused. One of the bullets hit the bulletproof jacket of Head Constable Rajesh. The accused was subsequently shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment, they added.
Accused Asif was allegedly among the three who posed as policemen and took the girl away at gunpoint to a secluded part of the park on Monday evening. Speaking to reporters outside the Amar Colony police station, Dhankar alleged that police took his sons from their house around 7am on Tuesday, without explaining the reason for their detention. Police said the victim is a resident of Faridabad and had travelled to Delhi on Monday evening.
The Kalkaji gangrape is the fourth reported case involving the alleged sexual assault of minors in Delhi in the last two weeks, with the incidents reported from different parts of the national capital. (With inputs from PTI) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
Dhankar said Hemant is a practising lawyer at Delhi’s Saket court, while Mukesh is a final-year BSc Mathematics student. The girl was medically examined at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), while crime and forensic teams examined the crime scene and collected relevant clues. “They were beaten up. We do not know the girl and my sons have no connection with her either. This is a conspiracy to frame them in the case,” he alleged. Download the TOI App.