Delhi: Auto driver rapes teenager in north Delhi

The girl said she went to a market in Burari. After spending an hour there, she sat on a flight of stairs in the market, which is when the auto driver approached her and offered to drop her home

A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an auto-rickshaw driver in Khyber Pass area, located near the northern Ridge, on Tuesday night, the Delhi Police said on Thursday, adding that a case was registered and several teams were looking for the accused who has been identified.

A senior police officer said that a passerby brought the victim to Civil Lines police station around 4am on Wednesday. (HT photo)

Deputy commissioner of police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi confirmed the incident.

A senior police officer said that a passerby brought the victim to Civil Lines police station around 4am on Wednesday after which counsellors were called along with the girl’s parents. The minor told police that she was raped by the auto driver who threatened her with a sharp object before committing the crime.

According to the police, the girl said she left her home around 7pm on Tuesday to go to a market in Burari. After spending an hour there, she sat on a flight of stairs in the market, which is when the auto driver approached her and offered to drop her home.

“The girl agreed to be dropped off by the auto driver. But instead of dropping her home, he drove around for some time before taking her to the Khyber Pass area because it has secluded spaces. He then showed her a sharp object and threatened her not to make a noise and then raped her,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.

Khyber Pass comes under the Civil Lines police jurisdiction, and is located about 9km from Burari.

The girl managed to leave the area where she was allegedly raped in the early hours of Wednesday. She then met a passerby on a nearby road and sought help. The man then took her to the police station.

The investigator said that the girl’s condition was stable but she was traumatised and unable to share the exact sequence of events for some time. “We will get more clarity once the accused is arrested,” said the officer.

A case under sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 363 (abduction) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act has been registered.

“The girl was given medical help immediately and counselled. Several teams have been formed and we traced the vehicle. The driver has also been identified and we are close to nabbing him,” the officer added.

This is the second such incident where a minor girl was allegedly raped by an auto driver being reported this week. An 11-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and molested by an auto driver when she was on her way to school in northeast Delhi’s Dayalpur on July 17 and the matter was reported to police on Sunday.