Three arrested for alleged rape of 17-year-old near Kalkaji Mandir; one held after police encounter

Three men, including one who sustained a gunshot injury during a brief exchange of fire with police, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl at a park near Kalkaji Mandir after posing as policemen and threatening the girl and her friend, officials said.

One of the accused, identified as Asif, allegedly posed as a policeman along with the other two men and took the girl at gunpoint to a secluded area of Astha Kunj Park on Monday evening.

The other two accused, Hemant, a lawyer, and his brother Mukesh, a final-year BSc Mathematics student, were arrested from their residence and are being questioned. Both are natives of Faridabad and live in Sri Niwaspuri in Delhi.

Police said Asif opened fire at a team led by Inspector Rajender Dagar when officers attempted to intercept him near DM Office Road in Amar Colony during the early hours of Tuesday. He allegedly fired three rounds, one of which struck the bulletproof jacket of Head Constable Rajesh. Police said Rajesh fired two rounds in self-defence, with one bullet hitting Asif in his right leg.

Asif was subsequently taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment, officials said.

The arrests were made during the investigation into the alleged sexual assault of the 17-year-old girl.

According to the girl's statement, she and her 17-year-old male friend had gone to the temple for darshan before entering Astha Kunj Park through Gate No. 7.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Vijay Kumar said police received a PCR call at 8.45 pm on Monday regarding the girl from Faridabad, who had come to the area with her male friend. The two had first visited the temple to offer prayers before going to a relatively secluded part of the park.

The three men allegedly approached the teenagers and claimed to be policemen. They reportedly questioned them using "police and lawyer-like" language and told them that they were minors, were doing something wrong and could face a case, the officer said.

The accused allegedly separated the girl from her friend and took her to an isolated area. Police said the men took turns restraining the boy while the others allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.

According to the complaint, Asif allegedly threatened the girl with a firearm and knife before raping her. The other two accused also allegedly raped her, after which all three allegedly threatened the girl and her friend.

The girl underwent a medical examination at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Crime and forensic teams also examined the spot and collected evidence.

An FIR was registered at Amar Colony police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police formed several teams to locate the accused. During the investigation, officers received information about Asif's presence near DM Office Road in Amar Colony and laid a trap, following which the exchange of fire took place and he was arrested.

The Joint CP said the park has multiple entry points and parts of its boundary wall have collapsed. He added that some gates do not have guards and certain areas are inadequately lit.

The parents of Hemant and Mukesh live in Faridabad. Their father, advocate J R Dhankar, practises in courts in both Faridabad and Delhi.

Speaking outside Amar Colony police station, Dhankar alleged that police took his sons from their home at around 7 am on Tuesday without telling the family why they were being detained.

"They were beaten up. We do not know the girl and my sons have no connection with her either. This is a conspiracy to frame them in the case," he alleged.

Dhankar said Hemant is a practising lawyer at Delhi's Saket court, while Mukesh is a final-year BSc Mathematics student.

Police said the girl is a resident of Faridabad and had travelled to Delhi on Monday evening.

The alleged gangrape near Kalkaji is the fourth reported case involving the alleged sexual assault of a minor in Delhi in the last two weeks, with the cases reported from different parts of the capital.

On Monday, a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped on Deshbandhu Gupta Road in central Delhi. Police said the accused, identified as Ankit, was arrested.

On September 17, a Class 6 student from Sadar Bazaar allegedly left her home to buy a pencil and books and was taken into a nearby tailoring shop by its owner, police said. The tailor, identified as Maqsood, allegedly restrained the girl by tying her hands and legs and sexually assaulted her. He was later arrested.

In another case reported on September 10, a 17-year-old girl in northwest Delhi's Swaroop Nagar allegedly went to meet a friend and was subsequently sexually assaulted by him and his associates. Police alleged that the teenager was later stabbed multiple times and died.

Her body was recovered on September 13, and four people, including three minors, were arrested.

The cases have renewed attention on alleged sexual violence against minors in Delhi, with investigations continuing into each incident.  (with inputs from PTI)