Investigators are examining whether the three had been involved in similar incidents earlier that went unreported.
NEW DELHI: Police investigating the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park in south Delhi are examining whether the three accused had targeted other vulnerable couples in the past, while investigators are also probing the alleged destruction of evidence after Monday evening’s incident. After allegedly intimidating the teenagers, they took the boy around 200 metres away and allegedly slapped and threatened him.
Police sources said Asif, one of the accused, was allegedly carrying a pistol and a condom in his pocket when he entered the park, followed by two brothers, Hemant Singh and Mukesh Singh. The girl and her friend were sitting on a bench when the three men allegedly approached them while posing as policemen in plain clothes, police said. The girl was then taken to a secluded and dark stretch of the park, where the three men allegedly took turns raping her, police sources said. Police said Hemant and Mukesh allegedly returned home after the incident and washed everything, including their lower garments, in an attempt to destroy evidence, according to news agency ANI.
The police are pursuing the angle as the three men were known to frequently hang around the park during late hours. So far, investigators have not found any previous complaints against them. They also allegedly deleted their search history. Police are examining these actions as part of the investigation into possible attempts to destroy or remove evidence.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)