17-year-old gang-raped and murdered in Delhi:Body found under leaves in field; 4 accused arrested

A case of gang rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl has been reported in Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar. Police have arrested four accused. According to police, the girl’s body was found on September 13 near Kushak Road, buried under leaves and soil in a field. There were around 6 to 8 stab wounds on her body. Police have arrested Shivam Ganesh, 19, in connection with the case. His three minor accomplices, aged 17 and 16, have also been detained. According to police, the girl knew the accused. She had gone to meet him on the evening of Saturday, September 10. The preliminary investigation found that the accused were under the influence of alcohol when the crime was committed. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act. Police searched more than 50 CCTV cameras Police teams examined footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras at the crime scene and along nearby routes. During the investigation, a tempo was seen passing near the crime scene around the suspected time of the crime. The tempo’s registration number was not clearly visible due to darkness. Investigators then traced its movement across several CCTV locations. During the intervening night of September 15 and 16, police carried out a search operation throughout the night. The suspected tempo was found in Khadda Colony in the Swaroop Nagar area. Police identified the tempo driver and questioned him. As the investigation progressed, four people were apprehended. According to police, all four are linked to the crime. Police recovered two knives allegedly used in the crime, the clothes allegedly worn by the accused and the tempo. Police said further investigation is underway. It will establish the sequence of events, the individual roles of those apprehended and verify forensic and technical evidence. Himmat Plus app and helpline numbers The Delhi Police launched the upgraded version of its original ‘Himmat’ app, called ‘Himmat Plus’, in 2018 for women’s safety. It can be downloaded from the Play Store and requires registration with a name, mobile number and address. In an emergency, pressing the SOS button on the app or pressing the phone’s power button 4–5 times sends the user’s live location, audio and video directly to the police control room and family members. For emergency assistance, dial 112; for women’s safety, 1091; for child assistance, 1098; and for the police control room, 100. ​