A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and stabbed to death in Northwest Delhi by four individuals, including three minors, inside a moving vehicle before her body was dumped in an open field and mutilated by stray dogs, police said.
The victim's highly decomposed body was discovered on September 13 near Jaipal Rana's field along Kushak Road in the Swaroop Nagar area. Authorities noted the decomposition was so severe that the victim's gender could not immediately be identified, reported NDTV.
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According to investigators, the victim was acquainted with the perpetrators. The group consumed alcohol together inside a tempo before the assault and murder occurred.
Portions of her body were consumed by stray dogs, and one hand was found severed. Her family had not filed a missing persons report, as she routinely left home for days at a time, according to the report.
Following the recovery of the body, a case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Lacking immediate eyewitnesses, police reviewed footage from over 50 CCTV cameras, identifying a suspicious tempo operating near the crime scene around the estimated time of the incident.
Despite poor lighting obscuring the licence plate, officers tracked the vehicle's route, locating it during an overnight search operation between September 15 and 16.
The vehicle's driver was questioned, leading directly to the apprehension of four suspects, 20-year-old Shivam, alias Sudama, alias Chuchu, a resident of Khadda Colony, alongside three juveniles aged between 16 and 17, according to NDTV.
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Law enforcement officials confirmed the recovery of the tempo, two knives allegedly used during the attack, and the suspects' clothing worn during the crime. Further investigation remains ongoing to map the exact sequence of events, verify technical and forensic evidence, and clarify individual roles in the assault.
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