South Delhi murder case: Accused’s detachment shocks police

A chilling mix of aggression and emotional detachment has stunned investigators in the rape and murder of an IRS officer’s daughter in southeast Delhi, with the 19-year-old accused, Rahul Meena, showing no visible remorse and casually justifying his actions during interrogation.

Police said Meena remained calm while recounting the sequence of events and repeatedly framed the crime as a consequence of his demand for money being refused.

“I don’t regret committing the theft, but I should not have killed her. It just happened,” he told investigators, according to a senior officer present during questioning.

His statements, coupled with his lack of emotional response, have prompted Delhi Police to order a psychological assessment. Officials said his behaviour stood out for its unusual combination of aggression during the crime and indifference afterwards. “During questioning, he was quite casual. He acted as if everything was normal. Usually, in such serious cases, the accused shows signs of stress or remorse. Here, there was none,” a police source said.

Meena also told investigators that the situation escalated because the victim refused to give him money. “If she had given me the money, this would not have happened,” he said. Police said he continued to insist that his primary motive was to obtain money to repay debts.

Investigators said his responses have raised concerns about possible psychopathic tendencies. A detailed clinical evaluation will now assess his aggression levels, emotional responses, and personality traits, including indicators linked to antisocial behaviour.

Police are also trying to determine whether the crime was planned or carried out in the heat of the moment.

Forensic teams are preparing to revisit the crime scene to reconstruct the sequence of events, especially in areas not captured by CCTV cameras. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Southeast, Hemant Tiwari, will oversee the process. Meena may be taken to the scene as part of this exercise.

Further investigation has revealed that Meena was under financial stress due to gambling and online betting. He was addicted to card games, including Teen Patti, and had lost more than Rs 7 lakh over recent months. To sustain this habit, he frequently borrowed money from people around him.

After being dismissed from the IRS officer’s home about six weeks before the incident, Meena returned to his native village in Alwar, Rajasthan. However, he reportedly did not tell his family the truth about losing his job. “He told his parents that he had left on his own and was looking for another opportunity,” a source said. Police have also linked him to a rape case reported in Alwar just hours before the Delhi crime. Investigators are examining this connection as part of a broader probe into his movements and behaviour.

After the incident in Delhi, Meena changed his clothes and footwear before leaving the house. He then walked towards Palam Railway Station, intending to travel to Rewari in Haryana. When he failed to catch a train, he checked into a hotel in Dwarka, where he was later traced and arrested.

At the time of his arrest, police recovered more than Rs 1 lakh in cash along with jewellery believed to have been stolen from the house.

The postmortem confirmed that the victim died due to strangulation. It also recorded multiple injuries, including a fractured nasal bone, indicating that she had resisted the attack.

The 22-year-old victim, an engineering graduate preparing for the civil services examination, was found lying on the floor by her parents when they returned from their morning gym session at around 8 am on April 22. Police said Meena entered the residential colony at around 6:30 am and used a spare key to access the house at 6:39 am. He left at 7:20 am. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts have confirmed his movement.

Meena had worked as a domestic help with the family for nearly a year before being removed from service over financial misconduct.

Investigators believe his familiarity with the house layout and the family’s routine played a key role in how the crime was carried out. The investigation is ongoing, with police focusing on reconstructing the full sequence of events and understanding the accused's intent.