- An IIT graduate was murdered in Delhi days before the UPSC prelims by a former household worker.
- The accused allegedly harassed her and strangled her using a mobile charger after entering with spare keys.
- Police say he acted out of personal grudge and financial distress; he was arrested soon
The 22-year-old daughter of a senior bureaucrat was sexually assaulted and murdered inside their South Delhi home on Wednesday. A former domestic help, who had been sacked only weeks earlier, is prime suspect in the case.
The 23-year-old accused, Rahul Meena, who hails from Rajasthan was arrested from Dwarka within 10-12 hours of the crime. Investigation has revealed he had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in Alwar, Rajasthan, hours prior to targeting the victim in Delhi, according to reports.
The victim was an IIT graduate, and was preparing for the UPSC preliminary examination, which is just days away. The victim's father is an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.
The incident took place when the victim's parents had gone to the gym. CCTV footage recovered by investigators shows the suspect gaining entry to the family residence in the upscale Kailash Hills locality at 6:28 am. He was seen leaving the premises less than an hour later, at 7:22 am.
"Investigation revealed that they (parents) locked the door in the morning and kept the key card in their shoe rack for their domestic help. Meena was aware of the location… he took the key card and opened the door,” a source at the Delhi Police Headquarters said, as quoted in a report in The Indian Express.
Police said after committing the heinous crime, the suspect ransacked the house and fled with Rs 2.5 lakh cash and valuables. A report in The Times of India quoted Joint CP (south) Vijay Kumar as saying Meena has been booked for rape, murder and robbery. Police said the domestic help was not verified.
The family told the police they returned home around 8 a.m to find their daughter in a pool of blood, and rushed her to Fortis Hospital.
Police investigation revealed Meena frequently demanded money to fund a betting habit, which led to him getting fired.
Beyond her academic success at IIT, friends and neighbours remembered the girl as a woman of multifaceted talent— an accomplished dancer who had shifted her entire focus over the past year toward clearing the UPSC examinations.
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