Delhi Police files 973-page charge sheet in Kailash Hills rape-murder case

Nearly three months after the 22-year-old daughter of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was allegedly raped and killed inside her house in south-east Delhi’s Kailash Hills, the Delhi Police on Friday said they have filed a 973-page charge-sheet against the family’s 23-year-old former domestic help

Nearly three months after the 22-year-old daughter of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was allegedly raped and killed inside her house in south-east Delhi’s Kailash Hills, the Delhi Police on Friday said they have filed a 973-page charge-sheet against the family’s 23-year-old former domestic help.

Police, in the charge sheet, said the crime was motivated by revenge against the woman’s parents and the accused’s alleged sexual intent towards her. (Representative photo)

On the morning of April 22, the Delhi Police’s control room received a call from the woman’s family stating that they had found her dead on the floor of their house. The family said they had stepped out that morning, leaving her alone. According to the police investigation, the accused, Rahul Meena, entered the house using a spare key.

According to the charge-sheet, Meena first attacked the woman with a lamp when she tried to scream. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her and strangled her using a mobile phone charging cable. He dragged her body to the safe in an attempt to open it using her fingerprint, but failed. He then broke open the safe, ransacked the house and made off with ₹8 lakh in cash and valuables. Investigators said the entire sequence of events lasted about 30 minutes.

Police, in the charge-sheet, said the crime was motivated by revenge against the woman’s parents and Meena’s alleged sexual intent towards her. While leaving the house, Meena was seen by a domestic worker employed by the family, who questioned his presence, but he hurried away. Police arrested Meena within a day of the crime from a hotel in Dwarka. The charge-sheet mentions that Meena was traced after he used an alternative SIM card to contact an acquaintance from the hotel.

Senior police officers said the investigators have built a watertight case supported by documentary evidence, witness statements and forensic reports.

A case officer said, “We found his fingerprints all around the house; on the safe, and at the points of entry. DNA profiling confirmed the presence of his fluids and blood on the woman’s body. The recovery of the stolen cash and valuables from the accused also supports the robbery charge. We have witnesses who saw him leaving the scene and CCTV footage showing his entry and exit.”

The charge-sheet also refers to another case of alleged sexual assault involving Meena a day before the Kailash Hills incident. Police said they have included the statements of Meena’s friend and the friend’s wife, whom Meena is accused of raping.

“Meena allegedly raped his friend’s wife in Rajasthan’s Rajgarh. While he was employed by the family in Kailash Hills, he was reprimanded for his behaviour and alleged financial misconduct before being dismissed. Investigators believe his initial motive was robbery, as he had accumulated heavy gambling debts, but he also harboured sexual intent towards the 22-year-old woman,” the officer quoted above said.

The charge-sheet describes the deceased as a “bright, young student” and a “civil services aspirant”. Police also recorded statements from neighbours, security guards, domestic workers, labourers, drivers, sweepers, auto-rickshaw drivers, cab drivers and other witnesses during the investigation.

Deputy commissioner of police (south-east) Hemant Tiwari said DNA profiling, fingerprint examination, crime scene reconstruction and behavioural analysis corroborated the investigation findings regarding the accused’s involvement.

“The crime scene was recreated at the instance of the accused in the presence of forensic experts. Sequential photography and videography of the reconstruction process, including the accused’s entry, movement and exit from the crime scene, were carried out. CCTV footage and reconstruction videos were also examined for gait pattern analysis. The behavioural analysis interview and layered voice analysis of the accused were conducted by experts from the central forensic sciences lab,” he said.