In a gripping tale of resilience and dedication, Delhi Police have successfully apprehended three men accused of a heinous gang-rape in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi. Their painstaking 20-day investigation involved meticulously examining over 700 CCTV cameras and probing more than 150 autorickshaws. The autorickshaw involved in the crime has also been recovered.
The arrested suspects, including an autorickshaw driver, were nabbed three days ago. Identifying the culprits required the analysis of almost 700 CCTV cameras along Ring Road, coupled with a manual scrutiny of 150 autorickshaws captured in the footage. Eventually, the suspects Prabhu Mahto, Pramod, and Mohammed Shamshul were identified and detained. The autorickshaw linked to the crime was seized near the police line.
The incident unfolded on the midnight of October 10-11 when Delhi Police's control room received a call around 3.15 am from an army officer reporting about the victim. The officer reported seeing a woman in a red kurta, bleeding heavily, on the roadside in Sarai Kale Khan. Her distressing condition unmistakably indicated a gang-rape incident.
An FIR was registered at Sunlight Colony in Delhi
Following the victim's initial statement, Delhi Police lodged an FIR under gang-rape charges at the Sunlight Colony Police Station and commenced the investigation. Information obtained from the victim indicated the involvement of three men and an autorickshaw. To track down the suspects, South-East District Police's DCP Ravi Kumar formed 10 specialized teams. The teams primarily scoured through CCTV footage within a 10-kilometer radius from Sarai Kale Khan along Ring Road. Upon reviewing approximately 700 camera feeds, about 150 autorickshaws were found suspicious. Officers then visited the homes of each autorickshaw driver for thorough verification. After 21 days, the diligent efforts bore fruit as the police identified and arrested the accused, while also confiscating the implicated autorickshaw.
The Appalling Actions of the Sarai Kale Khan Gang-Rape Suspects
Who is the victim, subjected to brutality in Delhi?
The 34-year-old victim hails from Puri, Odisha. As per police, she has been engaged in social work for over eight years and is a researcher by profession. With a Master's degree in Social Work from Utkal University of Culture in Bhubaneswar, she has actively contributed to various organizations. Furthermore, she worked as a research fellow at the Kalinga Network for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Additionally, she served as a community leader in Mahila Shakti for sanitation awareness and as a counselor at the One Stop Centre in Puri. According to the police, she moved to Delhi on May 9, 2024, without informing her family, who subsequently filed a missing report at Kumbharpara Police Station, Puri on June 9, 2024.
The Accused Explains How the Crime Unfolded
The accused, Pramod, revealed during interrogation that he is an alcohol addict. On the night of October 10, after closing his shop, he noticed a mentally unstable woman sitting by the roadside. Sensing her vulnerability, he plotted to exploit the situation. Mohammed Shamshul, a known beggar in Old Delhi, who also shares a dependency on alcohol, joined Pramod. Together, they dragged the victim to a secluded spot and raped her. Subsequently, autorickshaw driver Prabhu Mahto spotted her and not only raped her at the same location but later forced her into his autorickshaw, where he committed the crime again before abandoning her on the roadside near Kale Khan and fleeing the scene.
October 10-11:
Crime occurred, control room received a call.
October 31:
Police arrested the suspects after employing commendable investigative measures.
