A 19-year-old former domestic worker has been arrested for the alleged rape and murder of a 22-year-old IIT-Delhi graduate and daughter of a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, in what Delhi Police are describing as a premeditated attack carried out with cold precision in a south Delhi apartment.
He was arrested from an OYO hotel in Dwarka on Wednesday, hours after the crime, police said.
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A Calculated Entry
The woman, who was preparing for her Civil Services Examination, was, reportedly, alone at home when the incident occurred. She was found murdered in a room by her family members when they returned from the gym. The victim's father alerted the Delhi Police. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was declared dead, as per police.
According to PTI, the accused, who had been working as a domestic help with the family for about a year, had detailed knowledge of the household and their routine. He knew the parents would leave for a morning walk and gym, leaving the victim alone at home. After sneaking into the apartment, he headed straight to the rooftop study where the victim was preparing for her exams.
What Happened Inside
When she questioned his presence, Meena claimed: "Aunty ne bulaya tha kaam se (Aunty called me for some work)."
Meena then demanded money. Her refusal led to a heated argument between the two, which soon turned violent. The woman was struck with a lamp, resulting in injuries across her face and body, and she was strangled with a mobile charging cable which resulted into her unconsciousness, NDTV reported.
"The investigation suggests that the accused raped the victim while she was still unconscious. He then dragged her down the stairs to another room where a locker was kept, and attempted to open the biometric lock using her fingerprint, but it did not open," a police source told PTI.
According to the police sources, the woman had probably died by then, which may be why the biometric scanner did not recognise her thumb impression
He then broke the locker open with a screwdriver, stole cash and jewellery, changed his blood-stained clothes and slippers, and fled with around Rs 2.5 lakh cash from the house — roughly 30 minutes before the victim's parents returned, the report added. CCTV footage confirmed he was inside the house for about 40 minutes.
Who Was Rahul Meena?
Joint commissioner of Police (Southern Range), Vijay Kumar said, "As per investigators Meena had previously worked at the victim's residence but had been dismissed following repeated complaints about borrowing money. He was removed, as numerous complaints had been received regarding his habit of constantly asking for money on loan. He used to play online games and would borrow money from other domestic workers in the neighbourhood," Kumar added.
The 19-year-old appears to be a serial offender who allegedly raped a woman in Rajasthan's Alwar hours before the crime in Delhi, officials said.
Trail From Alwar to Delhi
“A special team has been formed to probe the rape charge against Rahul Meena here. We have detained over half a dozen people for questioning,” Alwar SP Sudhir Chaudhary said on Thursday.
According to the officer, Rahul was known to the victim and played online Ludo with her husband.
Joint CP Vijay Kumar, further, said that the accused had sold his mobile phone for Rs 10,000 and hired a vehicle for around Rs 6,000 to travel to the national capital in what is being seen as an attempt to evade police tracking following an alleged molestation case in Alwar.
Police said that after committing another sexual assault in Rajasthan's Alwar, he fled and came directly to Kailash Hills. "He knew the exact point where the girl's parents would hide spare keys for domestic workers, cook when they would step out for the gym," a senior police official said.
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A case has been registered in Amar Colony Police Station against the accused under charges of rape, murder and robbery, and further investigation is underway, police added.
Who Was The Victim?
The victim had completed her schooling at DPS RK Puram and had been an All-India topper in her class 12 examinations. She graduated from IIT Delhi and was preparing for the UPSC examination, NDTV reported. She was also a dancer and had won awards in several dance competitions.
It is reported that on Tuesday, the victim's parents had advised her to start her day early and prepare for the competitive exam in the morning. Wednesday - when the horrendous incident happened - was the first day of her new routine, the report further said.
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