In a shocking incident that has raised questions over policing, three men – a lawyer, a college student and their friend – allegedly posed as police personnel and took turns allegedly raping a minor who had come to visit Kalkaji temple with her friend on Monday night.
The trio – identified as Hemant, a lawyer, his brother Mukesh, a final-year BSc mathematics student, and Asif, who worked in the Okhla vegetable market – was arrested. Asif was nabbed after an exchange of fire.
According to the police, the incident took place around 8:45 pm on Monday when a PCR call was received at Amar Colony police station. After getting information, a team from the station rushed to the spot.
The alleged rape took place in an old, dilapidated stone structure inside the Astha Kunj Park, where the three accused allegedly took turns assaulting the girl, police sources said.
According to the girl’s statement, she and her 17-year-old male friend had visited the temple for darshan as it was her birthday. They subsequently entered the park through Gate No. 7.
Accused Asif was allegedly among the three men who posed as policemen and took the girl away at gunpoint to the secluded part of the park on Monday evening.
The other two accused – Hemant, and his brother Mukesh – were arrested from their house and are being questioned. They are natives of Faridabad and reside in Sri Niwaspuri in Delhi.
According to police sources, the three accused knew each other as they lived and worked in the vicinity of the park and also frequently met there.
The police are also verifying information that the three men may have been involved in other similar incidents in the park. No complaint has been received in connection with any such incident so far. The police are trying to ascertain whether there were any other victims, the sources said.
Asif allegedly fired three rounds at a police team led by Inspector Rajender Dagar when it tried to intercept him near the DM Office Road in Amar Colony in the early hours of Tuesday, the officials said.
One of the bullets hit the bulletproof jacket of Head Constable Rajesh. In self-defence, Rajesh fired two rounds, one of which hit Asif in his right leg, the police said. The accused was subsequently shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Vijay Kumar said, “A PCR call was received at 8:45 pm on Monday regarding a 17-year-old girl from Faridabad who had come here with her 17-year-old male friend. They first went to the temple to offer prayers and then to the Astha Kunj Park, towards a somewhat secluded area.”
The three men allegedly approached them, claiming to be policemen. They allegedly told the teenagers that they were minors, were doing something wrong and that a case could be registered against them, the officer said.
The accused separated the girl from her friend and took her to a secluded area, the police said, adding that the accused took turns holding down the boy while others assaulted the girl.
The boy was also allegedly beaten by the accused, following which a PCR call was made using his mobile phone, according to the police.
Asif allegedly threatened the girl with a firearm and a knife and raped her. The two other accused also allegedly raped her, following which the three men threatened the girl and her friend, according to the complaint.
The girl was medically examined at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), while crime and forensic teams examined the scene and collected relevant clues.
An FIR was registered at the Amar Colony police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
During investigation, the police received specific information about Asif’s movement near the DM Office Road in Amar Colony. They laid a trap and, following the exchange of fire, arrested him, the officials said.
The Joint CP said the park is open from many sides, while some portions of the boundary wall have also collapsed. “Some gates are not manned with guards, while some places are not sufficiently lit,” he added.
The police said the victim is a resident of Faridabad and had travelled to Delhi on Monday evening.
Form dedicated ‘Pink Force’: Delhi L-G
Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Tuesday directed the Delhi Police to constitute a dedicated “Pink Force” comprising trained women personnel for high-visibility patrolling around schools, colleges, Metro stations and other vulnerable hotspots.
Addressing senior police officers at the Police Headquarters (PHQ), Sandhu said women’s safety was “non-negotiable” and called for sustained action against eve-teasing and harassment under “Operation Shishtachar”. The L-G’s visit focused on measurable outcomes of citizen-centric policing.
Sandhu also called for increased foot and motorcycle patrolling, regular school awareness programmes on POCSO and cybercrime, intelligence-led action against drug trafficking and stronger traffic monitoring.
