Delhi Park gangrape: Police record 12 witness statements; accused denies presence

Investigators are cross-checking witness accounts with call detail records and CCTV footage from areas around Aastha Kunj Park.

The Delhi Police said they have recorded statements of 12 witnesses linked to the investigation into the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park, to corroborate their accounts with call detail records and footage of CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the park.

Students of Lady Shri Ram College take part in a protest march near the college, following the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji, in New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times)

On the day, the three accused were produced in court and lodged in judicial custody.

Police gather witness accounts and digital evidence

Police officers aware of the probe said that physical, biological and technical evidence, along with “solid” testimonies from the victim and her friend, has helped them build a watertight case against the accused, Asif, 30, Hemant Singh, 31 and his younger brother Mukesh Singh, 24.

Senior police officers said that accused Asif denied his presence at the park. “...we have statements from guards at the park, nearby gas godown and locals who spotted him and the other co-accused. Also, his last two locations of the phone was the park and his house. He even made calls during the incident to the co-accused,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

A second officer said that while Asif was not “prepared” for the arrest, the brothers, Hemant and Mukesh, had already started to destroy all evidence. “They deleted all their search history online. We don’t know what they searched after the crime but they deleted it. They also deleted phone data, including photos and videos. They had washed their clothes at night,” the officer said.

Police examine accused’s past conduct

Police said they are also checking “past conduct” of all three accused, saying the brothers were disbarred from a gym where they worked out.

Sonu Singh, who owns the gym, Fitness Lane, told HT that their conduct was a problem. “They came here last year but I had to remove them because of their conduct and because they also couldn’t pay the gym membership fee for two months.”

Police said they will also contact Mukesh’s college authorities in Palwal to check his conduct. “He hardly went to college. The family is also in Palwal and Faridabad, but the brothers were living in Delhi. Mukesh has said he travels from Sri Niwaspuri to Palwal to attend college,” the officer said.

On Thursday, the three accused were produced before Judicial Magistrate Deepika Thakran and sent to 14 days in judicial custody, PTI news agency reported.