16-year-old killed after gangrape, decomposed body found in field

Police said there were no eyewitnesses to the incident and the identity of the perpetrators was initially unknown.

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and stabbed to death in Outer North Delhi, with her 17-year-old friend and three of his friends apprehended for their alleged involvement in the crime. All four – two aged 17, one 16 and one 19 – were apprehended on Wednesday, police said.

The decomposed body of the girl was found in an open field on the intervening night of September 12 and 13. According to police, the incident took place on the night of September 10, when she went to meet her 17-year-old friend.

He allegedly called three of his friends, and the group spent some time together before allegedly sexually assaulting her. “When the girl threatened to file a police complaint, the accused allegedly stabbed her to death, and dumped her body near the bushes,” said an officer.

When police received information about a body lying in an open field, a team immediately reached the spot. “The deceased initially could not be identified,” said DCP (Outer north) Lokeshwaran R.

Police said while one of the accused has denied his involvement in the incident, they are awaiting medical and forensic reports to verify the claim.

On the basis of prima facie evidence, an FIR was lodged under sections 103(1), 238(A), 65(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Section 103(1) of the BNS deals with murder, Section 238 with causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen an offender, Section 65(1) with rape of a woman below 16 years of age, and Section 3(5) with acts done by several persons in furtherance of their common intention. Section 6 of the POCSO Act deals with aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a child, which includes gang penetrative sexual assault.

Story continues below this ad

Police said there were no eyewitnesses to the incident and the identity of the perpetrators was initially unknown. However, after scanning footage from over 50 CCTV cameras, they spotted a tempo moving near the crime scene.

Police contacted its owner, who allegedly told them that one of his friends had taken the tempo that night, the officer said.

“On the basis of the developed leads, a night long search operation was conducted during the intervening night of September 15-16. The suspected tempo was traced and its driver identified and questioned. Further probe led to the apprehension of four persons allegedly connected with the offence,” said the DCP.

Two knives have been recovered from the accsued, police said.

Story continues below this ad

“Further probe is underway to establish the complete sequence of events, ascertain the individual role of each apprehended person, and examine the involvement of any other person in the offence. The recovered exhibits have been preserved for forensic examination, and necessary legal action will be taken accordingly,” the officer said.