Five arrested for gang rape of woman, her minor niece in Delhi

According to investigators, the alleged incident took place at around 11pm on Saturday when the woman and her niece were turned away from a nightclub near Defence Colony flyover because the niece was underage

The Delhi Police has arrested five men for allegedly gang-raping a 22-year-old woman and her 17-year-old niece after reportedly spiking their drinks with alcohol and driving them to a house in Lajpat Nagar on Saturday night, officers said on Tuesday.

The accused were booked under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, along with relevant sections pertaining to rape and gang rape. (FILE)

According to investigators, the alleged incident took place at around 11pm on Saturday when the woman and her niece were turned away from a nightclub near Defence Colony flyover because the niece was underage.

The victims, in their statement to the police, said that while they stood outside the club in Defence Colony, five men approached and offered to drive them to another nightclub in Malviya Nagar, where they claimed the two would be allowed entry, police said.

“The woman agreed, and they all got into a Maruti Swift car. The accused drove them to a club in Malviya Nagar. We’re unsure if they actually entered the club, but we know that afterwards, they went to Gurugram, where the accused bought alcohol. The victims said that the accused offered them a ‘cold drink’, which was apparently laced with alcohol. The woman told us that they then drove to various places, and later went to a house in Kasturba Niketan that belonged to one of the accused,” said a senior police officer, who asked not to be identified.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh said the five men then sexually assaulted the two at the house. One of the accused later dropped the victims near their home in southeast Delhi at around 2am.

The victims told the police in their statement that at the time of the sexual assault, they were not in their senses, and could not recall what happened.

The matter came to light after the minor complained of stomach ache on Sunday morning, investigators said.

“She was taken to Safdarjung Hospital, where the doctors informed the family and the police that the minor was raped. Her aunt was called and their statements were recorded. Based on their statements, we lodged a first information report (FIR),” he said.

Doctors at the hospital said the medico-legal tests confirmed that both victims were raped, according to an investigator who asked not to be identified.

The minor’s parents believed she was staying with her aunt, who was alone because her husband was out of town.

The police officers cited above said that investigations also showed that the 22-year-old woman was still in touch with the accused and were exchanging texts the day after the alleged gang rape.

The officer said that police are investigating the case from all angles, including possible solicitation.

Police identified the five accused as Shivam Parchha, Aman Pal, Ashish Singh, Aman Mehra, and Abhishek Singh, and recovered the Maruti Swift used in the crime. The vehicle belonged to a common friend of the five accused, police said.

The accused were booked under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, along with relevant sections pertaining to rape and gang rape.

A senior officer said the 22-year-old victim provided details about the house they were taken to and the car that was used. With the help of technical surveillance and local inquiries, police traced and arrested the five men on Monday.

During interrogation, police found that the accused are friends who work as helpers and drivers in south Delhi.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to borrowing the car the night they met the victims.

They then devised a plan to get the woman and her niece intoxicated.

The group then arranged borrowed the car in which they drove the victims around for 2-3 hours. Eventually, they took the victims to Mehra’s house in Kasturba Niketan. Police said Mehra works as a security guard.

“After the alleged incident, one of the accused – Parrcha – dropped them off at their home. At that time, the woman and her niece did not have recollection of the incident. They told the police after the doctors informed the family about the minor’s rape. We are conducting a detailed investigation,” said another senior police officer.