In a horrific incident, a 20-year-old girl, who was on a job-hunt in Delhi, was allegedly raped in a car by a man, who posed himself as a cab driver in South Delhi’s Moti Bagh area on Wednesday night. According to Ishwar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), the accused, 28-year-old Avneesh, was arrested late on Thursday night. Police seized the Maruti Suzuki SX4 car, in which the woman was allegedly raped, 100 metres away from the spot of the crime.
The incident took place around 9.30 pm on Wednesday when the girl was standing near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, waiting for a bus to Noida. Avneesh, driver of the cab, bearing the sticker of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), offered to drop
her home.
“The girl alleged that Avneesh, called out to her and asked her where she wanted to go. When she told him that she wanted to go to Noida, he offered to drop her home for Rs 20,” said an official privy to the investigation.
The official said the car belongs to one Mohit Pawar, a resident of Kotla Mubarakpur. Pawar is the son of a head constable posted at the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). During interrogation, Pawar told police that he had bought the Suzuki SX4 car a few weeks back and gave it to Avneesh. Moreover, he said that the car was not associated with the MHA anymore now as the Ministry’s sticker had expired.
As per the complainant, the accused drove her around AIIMS, RK Puram and then Moti Bagh for around two hours. When she questioned the accused where he was taking her, Avneesh told her to remain quiet, threatening her of dire consequences.
The girl alleged that Avneesh took her to an isolated spot in South Moti Bagh where she was sexually assaulted.
According to the police, the girl managed to escape out of the cab, when Avneesh went out to attend nature’s call. She alleged that she ran towards the main road, signaled the patrolling team to stop.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) said, “Around 1:30 am, a motorcycle patrol party of South Campus police station was flagged up by a woman who alleged that she was raped. The personnel heard her out and without losing time. They called the Emergency Response Vehicle. Within the next 15 minutes, the patrolling bike and ERV gypsy started searching for the suspect’s car but he could not be located,”
“The woman’s statement was then recorded and her medical examination was conducted. A case of rape was registered at the South Campus police station and the hunt to nab the driver was launched,” the DCP added.
Several teams were formed to look for the car, which was found abandoned in Moti Bagh area, barely 100 metres away from the spot where the woman was allegedly raped. The police then traced the owner based on the car’s registration number to Kotla Mubarakpur in South Delhi.
The DCP said, “The registered owner was questioned and he informed that the car was being driven by one Avneesh, a resident of South Moti Bagh. Based on this information, along with technical surveillance and analysis of call detail records, Avneesh was arrested late on Thursday night, from Moti Bagh area where he was found drinking with one of his friends.”
Police said that Avneesh was taken to the South Campus police station and during sustained interrogation, he confessed to the crime.
Police added that experts from the Regional Forensic Science laboratory (RFSl) conducted a thorough inspection of the car. Police have recovered several items, including the girl’s mobile phone, from the car.