Delhi teen gangraped, stabbed to death, decomposed body found in field days later

Police said that during the investigation, they scanned more than 50 CCTV footage wherein a tempo was captured moving suspiciously. The vehicle's registration number could not initially be identified because of darkness, but was eventually traced. Interrogation of the driver subsequently led police to the accused.

In Short

• Body found in field, decomposed and partly eaten by stray dogs
• Four accused identified, including three minors aged between 16 and 17
• Police scanned over 50 CCTV cameras, traced tempo vehicle to crack case

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped, stabbed to death and thrown in an open field in Delhi's Swaroop Nagar, with the body decomposed to such an extent that forensics struggled to immediately ascertain her gender. Four people have been identified as accused, including three minors (aged between 16 and 17), with whom she went in a tempo, police said on Thursday. The fourth accused has been identified as Shivam alias Sudama.

The case came to light on the morning of September 13, when police received information about the body of a woman lying in agricultural fields near Kushak Road in Swaroop Nagar.

According to police, the girl and the accused knew each other, news agency PTI reported. The accused allegedly drank together inside a tempo before the girl was raped and murdered.

Furthermore, police said that some parts of the girl's body had been eaten by stray dogs, with one of her hands found lying separated on the field, the PTI report added.

The victim was not reported missing by her family, who told police that she would often leave home and return after a few days.

Police said they cracked the case by analysing more than 50 CCTV cameras. They traced the tempo that was captured moving suspiciously. The vehicle's registration number could not initially be identified because of darkness and poor visibility. The vehicle was subsequently traced and found parked in Khadda Colony.

The tempo driver was detained and questioned at length. His interrogation subsequently led police to the other three suspects, resulting in the arrest of all four accused.

Police have also recovered two knives allegedly used in the murder, along with blood-stained clothes that the accused were wearing at the time of the crime.

Police detained and questioned the tempo driver, following which three juveniles and Shivam alias Sudama were taken into custody. Investigators are also probing whether anyone else was involved.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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